VIDEO: 9/11 Exhibit Honors 46 Knights of Columbus Members
NEW HAVEN — Forty-six names line a wall at the Blessed Michael McGivney Pilgrimage Center, each representing a Knights of Columbus member who lost their life in the Sept. 11, 2001, terrorist attacks.
The names are part of a new exhibit, “Remembering 9/11: 25 Years Later,” which focuses on the lives, families and acts of service of those who died rather than solely on the destruction of that day.
Curator Bethany Sheffer said the exhibit highlights the personal stories behind the names.
“One of my favorite ones is the gentleman that highlighted the fact that he owned a 1970 Pontiac GTO and loved driving around,” Sheffer said. “There is one where his child was born five weeks after the tragedy occurred.”
The exhibit also explores how Knights of Columbus members responded to the attacks.
“They came, you know, their lives were in peril, but they went ahead and tried to assist as many people as they could,” Sheffer said.
She said that spirit reflects the values of the Knights of Columbus.
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“Obviously, being a knight is the desire to help your neighbor and to sacrifice for the greater good,” Sheffer said.
The exhibit includes artifacts connected to 9/11, including rosaries and a face mask worn by Bishop Thomas Daily, the sixth bishop of the Diocese of Brooklyn.
Another artifact has a connection to Father Mychal Judge, a Franciscan priest who was the first identified victim of the attacks. The exhibit includes his lucky baseball cap.
“This hat belonged to Father Mychal Judge, who was casualty number one for 9/11,” Sheffer said. “This was his lucky baseball cap. Unfortunately, he wasn’t wearing it that day.”
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The color blue is featured throughout the exhibit as a tribute to the clear sky and beautiful weather remembered from Sept. 11, 2001.
“I remember that the sky was absolutely beautiful. Weather was beautiful that day,” Sheffer said. “So we wanted to use that particular shade of color to do the commemoration.”
The pilgrimage center also features permanent pieces connected to the attacks, including a steel beam recovered from Ground Zero.
Staff members say the exhibits are particularly important for younger generations who were not alive when the World Trade Center towers fell.
“I think it’s really important for people to not forget what happened on that day, and also be reminded about what happened the day after and the unity within our country,” Sheffer said.
“Remembering 9/11: 25 Years Later” will remain on display at the Blessed Michael McGivney Pilgrimage Center through Oct. 11.