By MaryHelen Swanson

About 50 people gathered at Sacred Heart Catholic church in Rush City on the night of Sept. 11 to remember the attack on our nation and pray for those who died and those who live beyond that tragedy.

Pulling up hoods and zipping up winter jackets too soon pulled from summer storage, they braved the chilly weather for nearly an hour.

If you're cold, commented Fr. Xavier Thelekkatt, think of the men and women in Iraq, referring to the extreme heat they endure.

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In attendance was Michael Granlund who just one year ago was facing peril in Iraq.

He became emotional speaking of how close he was to not returning home. He said he talks to school children about the service, but doesn't go into detail about his tour of duty.

Following the service, Granlund spoke with the Post Review and it seemed to really hit him how serious the situation was as he served his country in Iraq.

During the peace vigil, Fr. Thelekkatt talked about how we need to be men and women of peace. We must offer the other cheek, and not live with an eye-for-an-eye mentality.Most importantly, the Father read from the Bible that we must love our enemies, as Jesus has commanded.But he put the onus on each individual to create a peaceful world.

"When there is a conflict within me," he said, "I become an instrument of conflict wherever I go."When we are not at peace with ourselves, he continued, it shows in our acts and words.

If we are peaceful people, there will be peace in our communities, in society, in our world. Appropriately, the group sang the "Prayer of St. Francis."

As the sun set and the service came to a close, everyone joined in singing "America."