New Canaan Marks 9/11 Anniversary at Town Hall Ceremony

For New Canaan Police Chief John DiFederico, 9/11 is a solemn day of remembrance and contemplation.

On Sept. 11, 2001, “the world was forever altered,” DiFederico said Monday from a podium at the front steps of Town Hall.

“What seemed like an ordinary work day for many, turned into one of the most tragic and horrifying days in modern history,” he told more than 50 people gathered on the front lawn on an overcast, muggy morning for New Canaan’s annual 9/11 ceremony. 

“Nearly 3, 000 innocent people lost their lives in a series of devastating attacks,” DiFederico continued. “Those acts of terror did not discriminate. They claimed the lives of people from all walks of life. From first responders rushing into the flames with twisted metal, to everyday citizens who found themselves at the wrong place at the wrong time. On this day, we pause to remember these brave individuals, the lives they led, and the futures that were abruptly taken from them.”

The community also thanks “the heroic first responders, who without hesitation rushed towards the danger to save lives, many of them paying the ultimate sacrifice,” the chief said.

“Their selfless courage in the face of adversity serves as a powerful testament to the resilience of the human spirit. The events of September 11th, 2001 were not just an attack on American soil, they were an attack on humanity itself. They altered the course of history and reshaped the world that we live in today.”

Many of New Canaan’s police, firefighters and EMTs attended the ceremony, which included a moment of silence, comments from First Selectman Kevin Moynihan, presentation of the U.S. flag by the New Canaan Police Department Color Guard, New Canaan High School student Henry Tate singing “God Bless America,” NCHS student Annabelle Murphy singing “America the Beautiful,” and placement of a wreath in front of the firehouse across Main Street that included three carnations, representing each of the deceased local men. There just outside the New Canaan Fire Department stands a 16-foot section from the floor of World Trade Center Tower One on the 99th floor, just above the impact point of United flight 175. Fire officials rang a bell 5-5-5—a pattern used during the telegraph era to signal that a firefighter has died in the line of duty.

In addition to Moynihan, elected and appointed town officials present included Police Commissioner Paul Foley, Fire Commissioner Beth Jones, Conservation Commission Chair Chris Schipper, Board of Finance members Amy Murphy Carroll, a candidate for first selectwoman, and Maria Weingarten, Town Treasurer Andrew Brooks, Board of Education member Julie Toal, Board of Ed candidate Lara Kelly, Selectman Kathleen Corbet, first selectman candidate Dionna Carlson, Town Council candidate Jen Zonis and state Rep. Lucy Dathan (D-142nd).

Moynihan in his remarks remembered the three New Canaan men who died in the attacks—Joe Coppo and Eamon McEneaney, both 46, and Brad Fetchet, 24. 

Coppo “was the beloved husband of Kathleen, father of four children, and a beloved baseball coach, for whom Coppo Field is named at Waveny Park,” Moynihan said.

He added, “As Mike Lupica wrote about two weeks after Joe died, ‘Every town, if it’s lucky, has somebody like Joe. A guy who doesn’t just want to coach his own kids, but all the kids.’ ” 

McEneaney was “the beloved husband Bonnie McEaneany-McNamara, father of four children, and former All-American lacrosse player for Cornell,” Moynihan said. He added that “Eamon was also a writer and a poet whose poems were published posthumously with the title, ‘A Bend in the Road.’ ” Fetchet was “the beloved son of Mary and Frank Fetchet, co-founders of the Voices Center for Resilience here in New Canaan, and brother of Chris and Wes Fetchet. Brad was a star hockey and lacrosse player at New Canaan High School and Bucknell … For those who knew Brad, his kind smile and gentle nature brightened our lives.”

DiFederico said that no words can describe the depth of sorrow and grief for the families of the deceased.

“No words can adequately convey the loss our nation endured that day,” he said. “We must always remember the innocent lives taken and pay tribute to them. We must never forget as we gather in remembrance. Let us pledge to carry out the memory of the innocent lives lost, the heroes who emerged in the spirit of the nation that in face of unspeakable tragedy, united and endured, let us never forget and God bless America.”

Monsignor Rob Kinnally of St. Aloysius Parish led those gathered in prayer. 

“God of mercy, You heal the broken in heart and bind up the wounds of the hurting,” he said. “Strengthen us in our weakness, calm our troubled spirits, and dispel our doubts and fears. Renew our faith, restore our joy in this life, for it is You who promises life and gives us hope for the life to come. When the world is in tumult and pieces shattered, we turn our hearts to You. Oh God, when hearts are breaking and minds are confused, we turn our hearts to You. Oh God, when words fail and love is frustrated, we turn our hearts to You. Oh God, when anger rises and hostility surrounds us, we turn our hearts to You. Oh God, when the way is unknown and the path timidly lit, we turn our hearts to You. When we turn our hearts to You, oh God. You hear the cries of Your people and answer in life. Amen.”