University to Mark 10th Anniversary of 9/11

BLOOMINGTON, Ill. – On Sunday, Sept. 11, Illinois Wesleyan University will hold a Service of Remembrance, marking the 10th anniversary of 9/11, honoring the nearly 3,000 people who lost their lives that day.

The service, which is open to the public, will take place in Evelyn Chapel (1301 N. Park St., Bloomington). At 7:46 a.m., the chapel bell will toll, marking the time the first lives were lost. At 8:03 a.m., a candle lighting and time for personal reflection will begin. The service of remembrance will begin at 8:37 a.m. and conclude at 9:03 a.m. The times coincide with the planes striking each of the World Trade Center towers, the Pentagon and the crash near Shanksville, Pa.

Members of the University Choir, as well as IWU’s female a cappella group, Touch of Class, will lead the community in song. Instrumental and organ works will also be included. There will be readings and prayers for peace and reconciliation.

“My hope is that this service provides the campus and community an opportunity to remember the thousands of women, men and children who lost their lives on 9/11,” said the Rev. Elyse Nelson Winger. “I also hope it will be an opportunity to renew commitment to ways of peace and compassion in a world where fear and terror too often hold sway.”