The relics of St. Barbara, the patron saint of firefighters, were brought from Venice, Italy to St Augustine's Church in Ossining for a special Mass held Tuesday to pay tribute to the victims of the Sept. 11th attacks.

Local firefighters, police officers and paramedics, who were first responders on 9/11, attended the Mass days before the seventh anniversary of the tragedy.

"I'm so pleased to be here in Ossining, before it goes down to Manhattan," says Jayne Meany. "I think it's marvelous."

The dozens of dignitaries from Venice, joined by members of the Italian Language Inter-Cultural Alliance who were instrumental in bringing the saints? relics to the United States, say the event is meaningful especially so close to 9/11.

?She's a message of peace, peace that today everybody needs, she is [an] extremely important presence here in [the] U.S.,? says Michael Siracusano, founder of ILICA.

Many of the officers who attended the Mass in Ossining say they were inspired by the special visit of St. Barbara, who suffered greatly as did the victims of 9/11.

The relics of St. Barbara will remain in Ossining only for 24 hours, after which the box containing more than 30 bone fragments from her skull and femur will be brought to St. Peter's Church at Ground Zero Wednesday and to St. Patrick's Cathedral Thursday, Sept. 11.