Below please find the statement from Rev. Dr. Sofía Betancourt, the Unitarian Universalist Association’s (UUA) President, regarding the 25th anniversary of the September 11th attacks.
Today we mark a solemn anniversary, twenty-five years since the September 11th attacks brought so much violence and turmoil to the United States. Twenty-five years since this country retaliated with a decade-long series of campaigns that has devastated nations.
Beloveds, this anniversary is deeply personal to me. I was raised in Manhattan and a member of my family was near the Twin Towers when they fell on that fearful day in 2001. The memory of seeing the United Nations headquarters that October, ringed solely with U.S. flags, impacts me to this day. I can still recall my fear for what it might mean globally in the years to come. As I experience my own response to this anniversary, I know this date returns many to grief for lives lost on that day and beyond. We also grieve hate and violence enacted on BIPOC and Muslim beloveds here in the United States and around the globe.
On this day, let us witness an abundant love that holds each of us in this solemn time. I send my love and deep care to all whose lives were changed by the events of September 11th and its aftermath. Those serving in the U.S. military who were sent off to war, the families and communities still reeling and rebuilding from the devastation of the wars the U.S. has waged, and to Muslim and immigrant communities who are still being targeted because of xenophobic rhetoric that took hold in response to September 11th.
As we hold so much today, let us resist the pull of fear and hate, knowing the deep costs of division. Let us recommit today to the ongoing work of healing, justice, pluralism, and love. As Unitarian Universalists, whose faith is rooted in love and faithful relationship, this is a time for each of us to ground in the promise of Beloved Community and renew our own commitment to building a world where all people are free to thrive.
I pray that we expand the circle of community wherever possible today. May our hearts grow each time they break anew and may we find still more love in the face of all the pain and memory of this day.
Further Resources
In Good Faith Blog — “On the 25th Anniversary of September 11th,” UUA President Rev. Dr. Sofía Betancourt’s Anniversary Prayer — September 9, 2026
In Good Faith Blog — A Prayer of Remembrance from Rev. Bill Sinkford — September 9, 2026