9/11 Prayer Service honors Helen Crossin-Kittle ’85

The Ursuline School community gathered on Thursday, September 11, in the JB Commons for a prayer service marking the 24th anniversary of the terrorist attacks on the United States. Under warm sunshine, with flowers in bloom and the statue of St. Angela Merici standing near, students, faculty, alumnae, and guests came together in friendship and remembrance.

It was a tranquil scene. The welcoming courtyard, overlooked by the school's Innovation Hub, offered a setting that held both sorrow for the lives lost and hope for the future.

The prayer service honored the memory of Helen Crossin-Kittle '85 and her unborn child. A computer specialist at Cantor Fitzgerald, Helen was the only Ursuline alumna who died on September 11, 2001. Classmates remember her as an early "Woman of Tech" whose talent and love of learning were matched by her warmth, kindness, and generosity.

“Our call each year is not only to remember with reverence, but also to commit ourselves to building peace and fostering hope in a world that continues to need both."
- Dr. Colleen Melnyk, president

Alumnae Gia Caramadre Lago '85 and Christine Astarita Odin '85 lit candles and offered prayers of remembrance, joined by students and peer ministers who read intercessions for the victims, their families, and all who suffer from the lasting effects of that tragic day. Special guests New Rochelle Mayor Yadira Ramos-Herbert P'28 and Police Chief Neil Reynolds prayed alongside the Ursuline community, honoring both those who perished and those who ran toward danger to save others.

"May we carry forward the memory of September 11 not only with sorrow, but with a renewed determination to be instruments of peace in our world." 
- Dr. David Gelpi, director of mission and formation

The Helen Crossin-Kittle Memorial Scholarship, created by her classmates and friends, continues her legacy by supporting daughters and granddaughters of first responders or veterans who embody her compassion and leadership. During the prayer service, scholarship recipient Maura McCormack '27 offered a Gospel reading that echoed the faith and hope at the heart of the gathering.

Nearby stood a World Trade Center oak sapling. Surrounded by American flags, it takes root outside Ursuline's Innovation Hub, where today's students study computer science and engineering. The tree is a living symbol of resilience, a reminder that life and light can emerge from even the darkest tragedy.

"Our call each year is not only to remember with reverence, but also to commit ourselves to building peace and fostering hope in a world that continues to need both," said Dr. Colleen Melnyk P'18, president, in her opening remarks.

Dr. David Gelpi, director of mission and formation, closed the service by urging students to live the Ursuline motto, Serviam—'I will serve.' "May we carry forward the memory of September 11 not only with sorrow, but with a renewed determination to be instruments of peace in our world," he said.

The service was a moving tribute that beautifully reflected Ursuline's Core Values and its dedication to compassion and sisterhood, which continue to unite generations of Ursuline girls. Ac Fui.