BREEZY POINT — Erik Johnson Jr., 11, wasn’t even born when the Sept. 11 attacks took place in 2001. But he has a clear sense of the loss of that devastating day because he spends the anniversary each year visiting families of 9/11 victims in his community of Breezy Point.
“While I wasn’t born then, I think it’s still important to honor the memory of people who died on 9/11. Their families really feel bad all these years later,” said Erik, a student at St. Francis de Sales Catholic Academy.
On the 24th anniversary of Sept. 11, Erik joined 19 other local children in Breezy Point to deliver flowers to families of victims — a tradition organized by Blessed Trinity Parish.
There were many stops for the children to make. According to 9/11 Living Memorial — a digital archive — 29 Breezy Point residents lost their lives.
Brianne Ratka-Coyle, the youth minister for Blessed Trinity Parish, organized the children into teams and gave each team a territory to cover. She also gave the adult chaperones a list of names and addresses of the 9/11 families they would be visiting.
“I think it’s great that these kids get to see that it is something that we can still do as a parish for these families, that no matter how old you are, you can pray for and with these families,” she said.
It’s important for the children to have these face-to-face encounters with 9/11 families, Ratka-Coyle explained.
“What makes this so special is that it’s personalized. We’re telling the families, ‘We remember your brother, your sister, your husband, your wife, your son, your daughter. America lost a lot, but you lost someone close to you.’ They’re not just a number,” she said.
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Marie Rella served as chaperone for three boys, her son Francis Rella and his friends Cillian Sullivan and Charlie Whelan, driving them to their designated stops.
They visited Nancy Mulligan, who lost her son Peter; Helen Fitzgerald, whose nephew Thomas Kennedy was killed; and Robin Peterson, whose husband William died in the terror attack.
“I go with them, but I usually just hang back when they knock on the person’s door so it’s just the kids and the family,” Rella said. “I think it’s better that way.”
While most of the encounters were brief, with the kids presenting the flowers and then leaving, the recipients seemed grateful to see the young visitors.
“It is such a nice thing,” Mulligan said.
Fitzgerald had nothing but praise for the young deliverymen.
“You’re wonderful boys,” Fitzgerald told the three youngsters as she stood in her doorway to receive her flowers. A moment later, she accepted an invitation from the boys to take a moment to say a prayer.
“They come every year and I appreciate it,” Peterson said.
Meanwhile, another group, led by Erik Johnson Sr., was busy visiting families a few miles away. Johnson, who accompanied his son Erik Jr., his nephew Luke Johnson, and his niece Keira Johnson on their rounds, said it was an important day for adults like him, too.
“One of my best friend’s father, Frank Callahan, was a firefighter,” he said. “He lost his life that day. I do this for him.”