On September 11, 2001, the world changed in ways that continue to shape our communities, our fears, and our perception of people who look and worship differently than we do. In the years since, we have gathered to mourn the lives lost, to honor those forever changed, and to ask what kind of world we owe to the generations who came after that day. On the “Tenth Anniversary of 9/11”, The Guibord Center brought people of faith together in ceremony and community with a shared promise: to continue to work across differences to create a safer and more compassionate world for our children.
Twenty-five years after the events of 9/11/01, that promise still feels as urgent as ever, for though we have made great progress here in Los Angeles as countless good people deeply rooted in their diverse spiritualities have worked diligently to build profound and meaningful relationships between communities of faith, we have done so while embedded in a time of deep national distress over profound economic inequity, rising fear, growing conflict, and an ethos of cruelty and uncertainty. Fortunately the diverse spiritual traditions of Los Angeles are strong. They teach another way, an ancient way: compassion over vengeance, courage over fear, relationship over estrangement, and honor for the sacred dignity of every single person and their community.
That is why this gathering across our diverse faith traditions on the 25th Anniversary of 9/11 is more than just a remembrance. It is an intentional declaration and re-dedification of our spiritual solidarity. Representatives of diverse faith traditions will come together in a sacred ritual affirming our spiritual solidarity expressed through music, presence, and pledge. The gathering will affirm the eternal values at the heart of our many traditions and essential to civic life: compassion, courage, kindness, care for the stranger, and a commitment to justice and decency.
Interfaith solidarity matters because it asks us to do something both simple and difficult: to show up for one another. It calls us to speak up when any community is targeted, to grieve together when violence wounds one part of the human family, and to share positive experiences that build trust across lines of religion, culture, and history. Recent interfaith efforts in Los Angeles have emphasized dialogue, coexistence, and the need to see the person before the politics—an approach that remains vital in moments of tension and pain.
This commitment requires moral strength and clarity. We must condemn evil unequivocally while refusing to surrender the humanity of any person or community to hatred. That distinction is difficult, but it is necessary if we are to resist cycles of fear and retaliation. The work of solidarity is not passive. It is a disciplined practice of presence, listening, courage, and care. To gather in this way is to say that remembrance must become responsibility. We honor the past not only by looking back, but by choosing how we live: with compassion, courage, and a renewed promise to stand together .
The 25th Anniversary of September 11, 2001: “Standing Together in Spiritual Solidarity” will be held on Friday, September 11, 2026, from 10:00 AM to 11:00 AM sharp at St. John’s Cathedral, 514 W. Adams Blvd., Los Angeles, CA 90017. Hospitality will follow. Organized by The Guibord Center once again, the program invites people and organizations across traditions to renew a multi-faith commitment to one another and to our democracy.