'The passage of time has not dulled the shock' - ST. PAUL'S, LONDON, MEMORIAL

A torn and dusty Union flag discovered among the ruins of Ground Zero was draped over the altar of St Paul's Cathedral for the service of remembrance yesterday, a symbol of grief shared by two nations.

The families and friends of victims of the September 11 terrorist attacks who filled the cathedral, together with the Prince of Wales and his son, Prince Harry, were told by the Bishop of London that they had faced "the reality of evil".

The 2,000-strong congregation, many in tears, watched as 3,000 white rose petals, one for each victim, swirled from the dome's 99ft-high whispering gallery on to the flag draped below.

It was a service punctuated by emotional silences and the lighting of candles - an epitaph for those who died in New York, Washington and Pennsylvania and a sign of hope for the future. Despite the space of a year, the anguish felt by many of the families was clearly visible.

Prince Charles, Prince Harry and Tony Blair stood with the hushed congregation as Lieutenant Frank Dwyer, a New York policeman, lit a candle at 1.46pm, exactly a year after the first hijacked passenger jet crashed into the North Tower of the World Trade Centre.

Earlier in the day during an outdoor service at the American Embassy in Grosvenor Square the 40-year-old officer, who had been involved in the Ground Zero rescue operation, handed the tattered Union flag to David Blunkett, the Home Secretary. No one knows how it came to be among the ashes and rubble of the World Trade Centre.

The congregation in the cathedral stood once more when leaders of Britain's Jews, Muslims, Hindus and Buddhists lit a second candle at 2.03pm, the time of the second aircraft's impact on the South Tower of the World Trade Centre.

A third candle was lit by Alexandra Clarke, 59, a member of the September 11 UK Families' Support Group Committee, whose daughter Suria was a victim.

During the service, a young girl in a black dress, her blonde hair held back by a black hairband, repeatedly clambered on to her chair to get a better view over the heads of the adults. It was one of many moving images.

In the autumn sun outside, several thousand members of the public had gathered to hear the service broadcast on loudspeakers. But it was primarily a day for the families of those who had died, particularly those of the 67 British victims.

In his address, the Bishop of London, the Rt Rev Richard Chartres, told the congregation that one of those killed in the World Trade Centre was a former head choirboy at St Paul's, Robert Eastwood, 37.

"Our hearts go out to the families of those who died a year ago, to those whose private and personal grief is constantly underscored by the public repetition of events which are now etched on the memory of a generation," he said.

"The passage of time has not dulled the shock. There is not a shred of justification for that atrocity and justice demands an unrelenting pursuit of those who were responsible. 9/11 brought us face to face with the reality of evil."

The service at St Paul's, often known as the nation's parish church, began with a full-throated rendition of the American national anthem. Many of the congregation were American, including staff from the embassy. William Farish, the ambassador, read the first lesson.

In a moving passage, Patricia Hodge, the actress, read from the poem Little Gidding, part of The Four Quartets by T S Eliot, which ends: "And all shall be well and/ All manner of things shall be well/ When the tongues of flames are in-folded/ Into the crowned knot of fire/ and the fire and the rose are one."

Cardinal Cormac Murphy-O'Connor, the head of English and Welsh Roman Catholics, led prayers with the Salvation Army's World President of Women's Ministries, Commissioner Gisele Gowans.

Prince Charles and a sombre Prince Harry cheered the waiting crowd by briefly appearing on the cathedral steps after the service before privately meeting bereaved relatives in the crypt.

Later, Colonel Michael Carrington, who lost his son Jeremy, said: "When I saw the 3,000 rose petals dropping, it takes an awful long time for them to fall, and that's an awful lot of people and their families."

Jim Cudmore, whose son Neil was killed in the World Trade Centre, said: "If your child or husband dies in a car accident, you don't keep seeing that accident over and over again. But we have lived with our children's deaths every month, every day, for the last 12 months, and there's no escaping it."

A woman who wept throughout the service, who preferred not to give her name, said simply: "We have all lost someone. We have all lost something."

We grieve with you. Condolences to you and yours.

Regards, Ivan

Yes. We are still coming to terms with the "reality of evil." And the senselessness of this atrocity. Hard to believe so many died at the hands of fanatical idiots who thought they would destroy us.

I sent Queen Elizabeth my condolences on the loss of so many UK citizens in the World Trade Center atrocity. In our own grief, we tend to forget that other countries suffered losses, too. Thank you for reminding us.

According to the final tally, America lost the most, the UK came a distant second, India was third in the loss of life with 30 odd citizens lost.

My thanks to you for your kindness and consideration.

Regards, Ivan

This sounds like a very moving service. Not like the Kumbayah nonsense I had to endure at my own church last night.

Thanks for sharing this Ivan.

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