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CNN Sunday Morning

Prayer Service to be Held at Yankee Stadium

Aired September 23, 2001 - 09:11   ET

THIS IS A RUSH TRANSCRIPT. THIS COPY MAY NOT BE IN ITS FINAL FORM AND MAY BE UPDATED.

THIS IS A RUSH TRANSCRIPT. THIS COPY MAY NOT BE IN ITS FINAL FORM AND MAY BE UPDATED.
BILL HEMMER, CNN ANCHOR: The biggest thing happening in about six hours time -- Yankee stadium they expect possibly 60,000 strong to cram in there today for a prayer service -- one of remembrance. CNN's Martin Savidge outside Yankee Stadium for us this morning. Marty, hello?

MARTIN SAVIDGE, CNN NATIONAL CORRESPONDENT: Hello, Bill. Security is expected to be extremely tight for that prayer service that will begin at 3:00 Eastern Time. There is actually sort of a pre-service that will begin at 2:30 in the afternoon. And, as you mentioned, that stadium is expected to be filled to capacity in many ways -- not just with people -- also with prayer and certainly with sorrow.

That service is going to be led by Oprah Winfrey, by James Earl Jones. There will also be representatives of many different faiths, of many different backgrounds will take part. And then there will be the music -- the music that is always so important in events like this.

And what a wide variety of music it will be. You'll have everything from classic music from modern day -- everyone from Bette Midler to Placido Domingo -- and there will be choirs of all sorts.

This is a ticket-only event. You must have a ticket to get in and tragically too many of those tickets are in the hands of families -- families, of course, that have victims that are lost. The sadness there just cannot be expressed in anyway. They will take up many of the seats inside of the stadium.

There are alternate viewing sites that the city has gone to set up for those that want to be there but cannot and they take place at Coney Island and also on Staten Island.

So it is going to be a very difficult day but also perhaps in some way an uplifting day as this city and this nation tries to come to grips with what has taken place here.

You could say that is it going to be a stadium in which New Yorkers will take part. Truly, though, by the advent of television and other means the entire nation will be there as well. Bill?

HEMMER: Certainly could not have asked for a better day Mother Nature-wise -- the weather is beautiful today here in New York City. Marty, thank you.

And, of course, CNN will have live coverage later today at about 3:00 Eastern Time when that service gets under way.

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