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Lodi religious leaders gather to remember 9/11

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By Maggie Creamer/ News-Sentinel Staff Writer | Posted: Tuesday, September 12, 2012 12:00 am

Rabbi Dr. Raphael Pazo
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Lodi Police Department Honor Guard Bagpiper plays "Amazing Grace."

Eleven local religious leaders will offer devotions and prayers at noon today in commemoration of Patriot Day and to remember the Sept. 11, 2001, terrorist attacks.

The hour-long program will bring local political and religious leaders together, organizer Rabbi Dr. Raphael Pazo said.

"The purpose of this is the brotherhood of human kind," Pazo said. "We are coming together, and we are coming together as patriots."

The service will start with the Pledge of Allegiance, the National Anthem, an invocation and then prayers from the 11 religious leaders.

In the program, it states the service's main goals: "Remembering the victims who perished, honoring the heroic efforts of public safety officers, governmental and civic leaders, civilian volunteer patriots and the bereaved survivors of September 11, 2001."

Once the religious leaders finish speaking, there will be a moment of silence, which will be broken by sirens from the Lodi Police Department.

"After the second tower fell, there was absolute silence," Pazo said. "Then all you could hear was the wailing sirens from the New York Police Department, the Fire Department of New York and paramedics."

The program will end with a 21-gun salute, "Taps," the retirement of colors, a benediction and then "Amazing Grace."

Light refreshments will be provided by the ladies of the Lodi Sikh Temple and members of the American Legion Post 22, where the commemoration will be held.

This will be the second year for the service. Last year, a group of interfaith leaders held a similar ceremony called the Gathering for Peace at Hutchins Street Square.

The ceremony was renamed after Patriot Day, which is the name of the federal day of remembrance President Bush signed into law after Sept. 11. Every year, there is also a national moment of silence at 8:46 a.m., which is when the first plane struck the World Trade Center.

"President Bush wanted to emphasize not so much the negative part of the remembrance, but the positives of people rallying from all different faiths, creeds and religions," Pazo said.

Participating houses of worship include St. John's Episcopal Church, Grace Presbyterian Church, the Lodi Buddhist Church, Big Valley Bible Church, St. Paul's Lutheran Church, St. Anne's Catholic Church, the Lodi Sikh Temple, the Salvation Army, the Lodi Mosque, Congregation Keter Yisrael, and the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints.

Contact reporter Maggie Creamer at maggiec@lodinews.com. Read her blog at www.lodinews.com/blogs/citybuzz.

Lodi Police Department Chief Mark Helms
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Reverently bows his head during a moment of silent meditation

Elder Gavin Strawn
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The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-Days Saints

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Gary McLaughlin
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Plays TAPS at the conclusion of the Patriots Day Commemoration

21-Gun Salute
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Rendered by the Honor Guard American Legion Ed Stewart Post 803 from Stockton, CA

Muhammad Shoaib, President of the Board
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of Directors of the Lodi Mosque extends his hand in friendship to George Leonardi, a US Veteran.

Reverend Katsuya Kutsunoki
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Lodi Buddhist Church

Sgt. MIke Oden - Lodi Police Department
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Saluting the American Flag after Posting the Colors

Mr. Bal Bahadur Singh
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Lodi Sikh Temple

Captain Martin Ross
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The Salvation Army - Lodi, CA

Taj Khan
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Member of Lodi Mosque

Photos by Dan Evans

Note from Dr. Pazo:  I wish to express my sincerest gratitude to all participants in the 2012 Patriots Day Commemoration Service for their dedication and effort to make this program a reality.

Newstory published on September 12, 2012
in the Lodi News Sentinel - Lodi, California
 


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