...long before the soul-stirring programme got under way, inside the church, the atmosphere was almost surreal.
Light from chandeliers enveloped invitees in a warm glow. In a corner, the photographs of some of the missing and dead were displayed against a stark red backdrop, mounted on an easel.
NEITHER cold weather nor rain could stop them. They were united by a common thread of loss three dark Tuesdays ago when terrorists destroyed the World Trade Center's Twin Towers and snuffed out the lives of their loved ones.
For almost four hours Sunday afternoon, families and friends of 24 missing Guyanese packed into the pews of the Hanson Place Central United Methodist Church in Brooklyn and prayed, gave thanks, searched for answers, comforted each other and celebrated the lives of their beloved.
The Day of Remembrance and Prayer Vigil for Missing Guyanese was organised by the Guyana Consulate in New York, the Cultural Association, New York and the Guyana Tri-State Alliance.
It was a stately affair, as the organisers promised.
It began with an Organ Prelude by Bert Rudder. Trumpet blasts preceded the call to worship under the theme `God Is Our Refuge And Strength'.
There was the presentation of the national colours and throughout the programme Guyana's Golden Arrowhead flew proudly alongside the Star Spangled Banner.
The congregation sang the `Hymn For Guyana's Children' as
heartily as it did `God Bless America', now a signature refrain on television and various memorial services since the September 11 tragedy.
It was a programme with a touch of classical music, flavoured with serene Indian dance rhythm.
Young dancer Romanie Kallicharran called her act a `Mantra For Peace'. The soothing soprano of Shirley Harper's rendition of `Eternal Life' juxtaposed the rich baritone of Hugh Sam.
The sound of mournful sax played during the Ninja Band's performance of John Lennon's `Imagine' added poignancy to the moment. At the request of the band leader, members of the congregation held hands in memory of a fallen Guyanese daughter - Shevonne Mentis.
"She was one of our biggest fans. Shevonne attended most of our functions. We will miss her." Simple statements said with a depth of emotion made those in attendance painfully aware that there were 24 Guyanese whose relatives and friends were grappling with their loss.
THE AMBIENCE
But long before the soul-stirring programme got under way, inside the church, the atmosphere was almost surreal.
Light from chandeliers enveloped invitees in a warm glow. In a corner, the photographs of some of the missing and dead were displayed against a stark red backdrop, mounted on an easel.
Many felt the pull of this board and gravitated closer for a look at the fallen.
In one photograph, a man in ceremonial Guyana Defence Force (GDF) uniform struck a military-like pose. He was Patrick Adams - "Adie" to his friends.
The dark-skinned beauty, in a black evening gown, who had smiled into the camera on some happy occasion was Shevonne Mentis.
The young man with the attractive grin and gold sports chain was former Guyana middle-order batsman Nizam Hafiz.
For the first time, many could put a face to the name, Astrid Sohan - a serene looking woman who would have celebrated her 33rd birthday on September 25. Astrid was an Assistant Vice President at Marsh & McLennan and was planning to marry her fiancé shortly.
"To know her was to like her," was the way her family described their daughter and granddaughter in a brief bio.
Also remembered with love was Rudy Bacchus. This former Vice President of Merrill Lynch formed his own company `Rudy Bacchus Floor Broker'.
He was attending a breakfast at `Windows On The World' that fateful morning when terrorists crashed two hijacked aircraft into the World Trade Center's
"A very responsible, extremely humourous and religious person," his bio said.
Rudy Bacchus was an ordained Deacon of the Second Baptist Church in Machuten, New Jersey. His photograph showed a man decked in matching bow tie and felt hat and a broad smile that showed a zest for life.
As a devoted wife, mother and accountant with a leading financial firm, Amenia Rasool had plenty to achieve. Her youngest child, Farhaad, is a mere 10 months old.
"A caring person with a pleasant personality, Amenia will forever be in our hearts" was the remembrance offered by the family of the woman with the confident gaze and matching pearl earrings and chain.
Anette Dataram's family chose a photo that showed off a 25-year-old young woman with bright eyes and an impish look. According to her relatives, Anette was the "life" of the family and she loved meeting people and going places.
A graduate of Manhattan Community College, she had majored in accounting.
"Goodbye Rick! God bless you and keep you in his care" was the message from Ricknauth Jaggernauth's family.
The congregation learnt that Rick, as he was fondly called, was proud of his sons and only daughter and was a doting grandfather to his three grandchildren. He was also a strong believer in God and always encouraged others to make prayer an important part of their day.
The bespectacled Charles Gregory John led an active life. For years he served as a member of the Jaycees and Lions Club.
He was a Past President of the Brooklyn Winthrop Lions and a Zone Chairman. Charles was also a family man.
No one knew that the ivy plant he bought for his mother four days before the September 11 tragedy would have been his final present to her. On that fateful Tuesday, John was on duty as an employee of Mandel Security Bureau and based at Fuji Bank in one of the WTC towers.
Two of his colleagues in uniform stood heads bowed opposite each other beside the flags of the U.S. and Guyana.
"We had to be here for John. He was the best," one remarked after the service.
Another featured photograph was that of Sarah Khan who left behind husband Nizam and daughters Shaneiza, 13 and Ameiza, 11. Sarah loved to cook, sing and listen to Indian music.
Organisers were unable to obtain pictures of all 24 victims but those that they did told stories of full lives.
It was eerie to hear the 24 names of the missing or dead - Patrick Adams; Rudy Bacchus; Kris Romeo Bishundat; Pamela Boyce; Annette Dataram aka Priya; Sabita Guman; Nizam Hafiz; Ricknauth Jaggernauth; Charles Gregory John; Sarah Khan; Amarnauth Latchman; Shevonne Mentis; Marcus Neblett; Hardai Parbhu; Vishnu Ramsaroop; Ameenia Rasool; Sita Sewnarine; Shiv Shankar; Kamini Singh; Ronald Singh; Astrid Sohan; Joyce Stanton; Patricia Stanton and Vanava Thompson - being called individually and followed by silence.
After each, in a touching display of affection, family members held each other in support and trekked to the altar where they lit a candle in memory of their beloved.
`His Eye Is On The Sparrow...and I know he watches over me', many eyes were damp after Trenton Mack performed this solo.
"We saw the tears and our tears flowed across the ocean. From 31 countries across the Americas we realised we were one. Tragedy came to us on September 11.
"It was not an American tragedy but an assault on all of us," Health Minister, Dr. Leslie Ramsammy said in a preamble to the message he read from President Bharrat Jagdeo. "You and I must eschew violence and the things that make for violence and set people against people in death-dealing hate. We must seek the peace that our several faiths teach for ourselves; we must promote it assiduously; we must teach it to our children; that ours may be a better world and country in which people will not live in fear or die at the hand of violence," the President urged in his message.
"Death is almost always a painful thing. When it comes to people in their youth, or in the prime of their lives; and when it comes so tragically and in such an unexpected fashion as it did to our Guyanese brothers and sisters on September 11, in that disaster of such mind-boggling dimensions, the wrenching pain is unbearable and the grief unsupportable. And the mind, uncomprehending, asks: Why? And again, Why?
"I have this image of my Guyanese fellows searingly burnt on my mind and savagely tattooed on my soul: There they lie, struck down in full bloom. Death lies on them like some blight on my country's fairest flowers.
"As we meet here today to mourn the loss of our people and celebrate their lives, fate and faith remind us of the norms of civilised society with its attendant fragilities. To provide comfort to grieving family members and to garner some understanding of the tragedy, we must pause and reflect at this memorial gathering.
"For us Guyanese, the memorial has a special meaning in the context of dual citizenship which many of our foreign nationals enjoy. Many of the deceased shared this duality of status proudly, recognised as they were, as both Guyanese and American citizens. As Guyanese, and as Americans, they were hardworking, productive citizens.
"They had strong family ties and values. They worked hard for a living to support relatives in the U.S. and back in the land of their birth, Guyana. They worshipped through different faiths and prayed daily for guidance, understanding that fate might have its own agenda or prescription of how things will turn out.
"This humbling ever-presence of the unknown serves, usually, to anchor us more deeply and to cherish the joys and gifts of daily living. And we can say accurately that our departed nationals lived such lives. More than that, they were good citizens."
The message ended with the President offering heartfelt condolences to those who grieve and the consoling words, "All will be well; and all manner of things will be well. We will mourn our loss, but we will have hope.
"The pilgrims have dipped beyond the horizon, in the dying twilight, you are gone friends. We love you. Goodbye!"
Guyana's Ambassador to Washington, Dr. Odeen Ishmael reaffirmed Guyana's support to the U.S. as other governments, as it "plans strategies and carry out actions to confront the perpetrators" of the terrible deeds of September 11.
State senator John Sampson, who is of Guyanese parentage, urged the gathering to support each other in the long term.
"We must be there not just for a few days. We must ask not why this tragedy happened, but what we can learn from it," he exhorted.
Colin Moore who lost his cousin Vanava Thompson in the tragedy recalled her last words to his mother that fateful morning - "Mom I'll call you later."
Thompson never got the chance and Moore said it brought to mind the story of a little girl whose father had died and was told by her mother that her dad had gone to heaven. The child in her innocence then begged her mother to "dial daddy's number in heaven".
Moore struck a chord when he noted that the September 11 tragedy left many without that promised last call.
A total of 12 spiritual leaders participated in the service, offering prayers and messages.
They were: Bishop Heron Sam, Rev. Dr. Ingram Hodge, Pandit Roop Sukhram,
Rev. Dr. Evelyn John, Rev. Rodwell Thom, Imam Haji Zakir, Rev. Geo Frederick,
Pandit Mahadeo Ramsaroop, Bishop Maurice Vaughn, Deputy Imam Abdul Shafiek, David Clarke and Rev. Dr Joy Thomas.
In their messages of hope, Revs. Thom and Frederick and Deputy Imam
Shafiek sought to provide answers to the questions: "Where is God in the midst of this tragedy?" "How should people of faith deal with this tragedy?" and "How does the nation's retaliation affect me directly?"
In the end, the consensus was that God was there on September 11 in the last moments of those who perished. "God was there when loved ones trapped inside burning buildings called to say `I love you' one last time".
The sorrowing were urged to "keep the faith" by trusting in their God who ultimately turns evil into good.
Some four hours later, as the 24 candles on the altar burned low, each member of the congregation lit a candle.
The flames inside the church resembled small beacons on the sea and a sense of hope and serenity filled Hanson Place Central United Methodist Church as those within sang with feeling `God Bless America'.