'This way they will never be forgotten': 100 names added to 9/11 memorial in Westbury

It’s been nearly 20 years since the 9/11 terrorist attacks on the World Trade Center, and the list of the victims keeps growing at a Catholic cemetery in Westbury.

On Friday, workers sandblasted another 100 names onto the black marble wall that rises on a special lot at the Cemetery of the Holy Rood, adding to the 414 that were already there.

The new names are from families of victims who never submitted the names of their loved ones, or are of firefighters, police and other first responders who worked in the rescue effort and died years later of 9/11-related illnesses.

The latter group has been included on the wall for the first time. Of the 100 names added Friday, about one-third were people who died on 9/11 itself.

The names of the victims who died on Sept. 11, 2001, are etched onto the front of the wall. Those who died of related causes from the toxic air at Ground Zero are memorialized on the back.

The victims’ names are followed by their profession: firefighter, police officer, bond trader, airline captain.

Catholic Cemeteries of Long Island decided to send out the open invitation for new names to be added as part of ceremonies marking the 20th anniversary of the worst terrorist attack in the history of the United States.

"As we approached the 20th anniversary, we knew something special had to be done," said Richard Bie, president and CEO of Catholic Cemeteries of Long Island. "We knew that there were many, many more people than the 414 names that we had memorialized on this wall."

The victims listed must be from Long Island or have some connection to the region, such as a close relative who lives here.

Nearly 500 Long Islanders were among the almost 3,000 people killed on 9/11 at the World Trade Center, the Pentagon and on a plane that crashed in Shanksville, Pennsylvania. More than 2,000 first responders, office workers and residents of lower Manhattan — including a large number from Long Island — have since died from a 9/11-related illness, advocates said.

Bie said he expects more people to be added to the latter list.

"They deserve to be memorialized," he said.

The memorial is a place that continuously draws people throughout the year, though "certainly it ramps up every year around 9/11," Bie said.

"It’s a place for them to come, to reflect on their lives. It’s a quiet place of solace and tribute and it’s a nice way to memorialize them. This way they will never be forgotten."

The nature of their faith does not matter — victims of any religion are accepted for inclusion on the wall.

There was no charge to the families. Catholic Cemeteries has paid for the entire project, though Bie did not immediately know the cost.

The monument was initially built in 2003. The area around it also includes more than two dozen victims of the attack who are buried there.

A statue of Mary holding Jesus after the Crucifixion resides in front of the black wall.

The addition of the names is part of the cemetery’s preparation for an outdoor Mass that will be celebrated on Sept. 11 at 1 p.m., with Bishop John Barres presiding. Cemetery officials expect a crowd of at least 700 people.

"It is important that we remember the victims of the attacks, those who rushed to their aid and all who selflessly gave of themselves afterwards at Ground Zero, suffering years of chronic health conditions and related illnesses," Bie said.