Final preparations were under way today for tonight's prayer service for thousands of relatives of victims of the World Trade Centre terror strikes.
Up to 26,000 of the 60,000 free tickets for the Prayer for America service were being reserved for the families of workers and rescuers who died in the horror attacks.
More than 6,300 people were still missing, feared dead, in the collapsed twin towers, including around 350 firefighters and police. The total number of confirmed dead today stood at 252.
The multi-faith service was first planned for Central Park but the idea was shelved amid fears that the overstretched police force would not be able to cope with the one million people expected.
Instead, the ticket-only service was arranged for the New York Yankees baseball stadium in the Bronx. The stadium can seat 57,500 but extra seating was expected to be provided on the field.
New York Mayor Rudolph Giuliani said the service was a chance to "give the families of victims and those affected by the tragedy an opportunity to come together, worship together and gain strength.''
The service, led by the Archbishop of New York, Cardinal Edward Egan, and other Christian, Muslim and Jewish leaders, was being broadcast live to minor league baseball parks in Coney Island, Staten Island and Newark, New Jersey.