09/06/2026
Fr. George Fleming's blog for this week:
“Amen, I say to you, whatever you bind on earth shall be bound in heaven, and whatever you loose on earth shall be loosed in heaven. Again, amen, I say to you, if two of you agree on earth about anything for which they are to pray, it shall be granted to them by my heavenly Father. For where two or three are gathered together in my name, there am I in the midst of them.” (Matthew 18:18-20)
This week we commemorate Labor Day on Monday and, just four days later, the twenty-fifth anniversary of September 11th.
The unofficial days of summer always seem to fly by, although this year we have experienced the longest stretch the calendar allows between Memorial Day and Labor Day. Memorial Day fell on May 25th, the earliest possible date for the last Monday of May, while Labor Day falls on September 7th, the latest possible date for the first Monday of September.
There is something particularly meaningful about Labor Day and September 11th falling so close together this year. Labor Day celebrates the dignity of work and the respect we owe to all the individuals who do so much for society. During the pandemic, we discussed the dynamics of ‘essential’ and ‘non-essential’ workers which seemed to divide us. Twenty-five years ago we all were united in the appreciation and respect we had for those unselfish workers who gave of themselves so heroically at a time when we were all affected by the horror of September 11th and the aftermath.
The images of the planes coming down as people were at their places of employment, routinely accomplishing their tasks, added to the nightmare which enfolded. Many rose to the occasion to save others while first responders not only came to their rescue but many lost their lives in service to others. The firefighters, police officers and emergency responders, including concerned community members, came forward in roles for which they were trained but none of us hoped would be necessary. Many died in service to others while others were injured in countless ways. Strangers helped others and we gathered, united as one.
As many worked tirelessly in rescue and recovery at Ground Zero, the Pentagon and in Pennsylvania, health care professionals and others provided the medical, spiritual and emotional care people desperately needed. Others came forward to console and walk people through the darkest times of their lives as they were forced to grieve their loved ones and community members.
If the ‘summer’ is bookended by Memorial Day and Labor Day it is interesting how September 11th commemorates aspects of both. This day that will live in infamy as so few poignantly do, will never be forgotten by those who lived it and will still be remembered by generations that will come after. It is a day that is full of sadness as well as anger but even more so it is a reminder of how it feels to come together and, with common accord, pray.
I remember September 11th beginning like any other Tuesday and a small group of us were celebrating daily Mass on the porch of the rectory in Hague, located off the north end of Lake George. We had celebrated the 9 am liturgy and were having coffee and donuts when the phone rang. I stood there as we all watched the expression of a ninety-one-year-old matriarch of the parish change, prompting us to turn on the television. She announced that her grandson worked in that tower. Daniel would be one of the survivors and his journey that day would be echoed by so many who traveled with him.
I left my friends who stayed together in the rectory to drive to Chestertown for a funeral. Guests arrived not knowing what had happened and were met by countless others who flocked to the church, unaware of any planned liturgies, but needing a place to come together. They stayed for the service. We lived out the message, “where two or three are gathered together…” At a time when we all questioned where God was in all of this, we felt the Divine consoling presence in the midst of us and the many places we prayed together.
This Friday, our parish communities will have several opportunities to gather in that same spirit of remembrance and prayer. At All Saints on the Hudson, our regularly scheduled 8:45 a.m. daily Mass at St. Peter’s in Stillwater will be followed by a Holy Hour which will include a Litany centered on the Sacred Heart of Jesus and will conclude with the recitation of the Rosary and the Divine Mercy Chaplet. The church will remain open through the rest of the morning.
At 12:00 noon, we will gather for a special daily Mass at the St. Paul the Apostle site in Mechanicville. Following the noon Mass, St. Paul the Apostle Church will remain open continuously for private prayer until 5:00 p.m. Many of us will join members of the wider community for the annual September 11th Remembrance at 5:30 p.m. at the Mechanicville Fire Department (36 North Main St.) Cosponsored by the Mechanicville-Stillwater Elks Lodge and with full community participation, this poignant commemoration is open to all, including members of both parishes. Similar events are being held throughout our area. Let us unite in our prayers and support.
At Corpus Christi, we will build around our 9:00 a.m. Friday morning liturgy.
Eucharistic Adoration will begin at 8:00 am. Throughout the morning, a bell will be rung at four significant moments: 8:46 a.m. (when the first plane struck the North Tower), 9:03 a.m. (when the second plane struck the South Tower), 9:37 a.m. (when the Pentagon was struck) and 10:03 a.m. (when Flight 93 crashed in Pennsylvania).
The Blessed Sacrament will be reposed in the tabernacle at approximately 9:05 a.m. as we prepare to celebrate Mass. After our liturgy, Eucharistic Adoration and prayer will continue until 11:00 a.m., when Adoration will conclude. Corpus Christi Church will then remain open until 2:00 p.m. for anyone who wishes to come and spend some time in quiet prayer and remembrance.
Please remember to join us all in prayer this week and may you feel God in your midst through all you or your loved ones may be enduring. God bless you.
