Services for missing and dead could go on until Christmas

Funerals and memorial services for those killed or missing in the World Trade Centre attacks, could continue until Christmas for Irish communities in New York.

In Rockaway, part of the borough of Queens, 80 per cent of the community is Irish-American; in four parishes alone, up to 150 people have either been confirmed dead or are missing.

Memorial services have begun for families who accept they will not get their relatives' remains back. Most of the victims are aged between 22 and 38.

"We have had five Masses so far and will have at least 17 more," said Sister Mary Beata, an Irish- American nun who is organist and singer at two churches in the Breezy Point area of Rockaway.

In some cases the families have received the remains. "Someone is dead but at least there is a body and he can be buried, and this is very important to families," she said. One man who recently celebrated his 50th wedding anniversary was completely distraught. "I just want his body. I know he's not coming home but I want to bury him," he said.

Other families have held wakes and memorial services without bodies in an effort to come to terms with the death of a relative.

At one Mass there were eight eulogies in a ceremony which took two hours. "You can't stop people doing that," said Sister Beata, who works in the joint parish of St Thomas and St Edmond's. "It is the only way they have to vent (their feelings) and it helps them a lot to talk about their sons and daughters and to hear stories about them from their friends."

Because so many families are asking for the requiems at the weekends to allow more people to attend, and because the ceremonies are so long, memorials could continue until Christmas.

Sister Beata sang at two funerals on Saturday. One was for Peter Mulligan (27), who worked for bond traders Cantor Fitzgerald, which lost up to 700 of its em- ployees. "I sang his wedding in May and today I sang his funeral."

On Friday she attended a wake for Mattie Gryzmalski, her nephew's brother-in-law, whose body has not been recovered. He too worked for Cantor Fitzgerald and he died with his fiancΘe.

Relatives of Irish victims have continued to arrive in New York. At the weekend, 10 families travelled with Aer Lingus from Ireland and were met by representatives of the Irish Consulate, who have acted as liaison with the authorities. Some relatives attended Mass yesterday at St Patrick's Cathedral. Some have been to the family centres where they are counselled and fill out identification forms, giving as much information as possible about their missing.

As hopes fade for the rescue of any survivors, the authorities are expected to bring digging machines right into the foundations in the next few days. The embassies of more than 60 countries have been continually updated about the operation at Ground Zero from where more than 100,000 tonnes of debris, rubble and metal have so far been removed.

The number of missing officially remains at 6,300 following an increase of more than 900 in the past few days, due mainly to reports by foreign embassies of more missing people.

The Irish Consulate has reported constant changes in the number of Irish-born missing and first- generation Irish-Americans who are presumed dead. The changes include families who report people missing who perhaps have not been in touch with home for months.