New York City Marks 9/11 At A Time of Harrowing Loss

THE families, the politicians and the bagpipers gathered once more at ground zero on Friday, as the country paused to remember a national crisis even as it found itself in the midst of another.

The somber rituals held at the Sept. 11 memorial in Lower Manhattan provided an especially poignant resonance in the face of a pandemic that has crippled the country and brought particularly devastating loss to New York City.

And having already transformed so many rhythms of life, the outbreak also altered a collective moment to honor the dead.

Though the names of the victims resounded across the plaza, and the bells tolled across New York as they have in years past, there was no stage in front of those who came to mourn.

Some of America’s most notable politicians were in attendance, including Vice President Mike Pence and Joseph R. Biden Jr., the Democratic candidate for president,