The Democratic mayoral candidates said yesterday that the fourth anniversary of the terrorist attacks of 2001 was not a day for politics. If actions speak louder than words, however, the last Sunday before tomorrow’s primary election was an ideal day for politics.

The four contenders – the former Bronx borough president, Fernando Ferrer; Rep. Anthony Weiner of Queens; the City Council speaker, Gifford Miller, and the Manhattan borough president, C. Virginia Fields – followed grueling campaign schedules, visiting churches, memorial services, and vigils, and in some cases festivals. Mr. Ferrer, who is just ahead of Mr. Weiner according to the Marist poll released Friday, participated in the consummate political event, receiving a valued endorsement from the Reverend Al Sharpton over fried chicken at a Harlem restaurant.

Although Mayor Bloomberg had no campaign schedule yesterday, he made it onto televisions and radios throughout the city. He launched the memorial service at the World Trade Center site with a moment of silence and an excerpt of poetry. He also talked about the recovery and rebuilding during his weekly address.

“Despite long odds and innumerable challenges, we have come a long way over the past four years,” he said. “Of course, there’s still a lot more work ahead. But we’ve shown that we have got the determination, the innovation, and the spirit to get it done. And that makes today – the fourth anniversary of September 11 – not merely a sad reflection of our loss, but a true celebration of life.”

Mr. Miller likewise attended the World Trade Center memorial. He talked to the city’s public advocate, Betsy Gotbaum, and the state’s senior senator, Charles Schumer, while he was there, but he left early to travel to his first of two church appearances on Staten Island.

At a stop at the Mount Sinai United Christian Church, he spoke to an almost entirely black congregation. Mr. Miller delivered a sermon-style story about an atheist and a grizzly bear. Upon seeing the animal in the forest, the atheist appeals for divine aid. The atheist then hears a voice from above saying, “Son, all your life you denied me and now, in your moment of peril, when you really need me, you expect me to believe in your conversion?” The atheist acknowledges that his prayer was not credible and asks, “But maybe, maybe Lord, you can make this bear a good Christian”; and the bear puts its two paws together and says “Lord, please bless this food.” The congregation roared with laughter.

Then Mr. Miller subtly reminded churchgoers about the primary. “I’m not here to give you a political speech,” he said, before quickly adding, “although I am running for mayor.”

Later, the pastor, Reverend Dr. Victor Brown, praised Mr. Miller and thanked him for “orchestrating through the budget of the City Council a grant for our center in the amount of $500,000.” Mr. Miller said afterward that the grant was for the purchase of a property for a community center.

Mr. Weiner started his day at a ceremony at the firefighters 9/11 memorial on the Upper West Side. Looking somber and wearing an American flag tie and a matching flag pin on his lapel, Mr. Weiner said the day was not an appropriate one for politics. “I don’t think you should campaign on September 11,” he said.

“Everyone has to choose their own way to remember the day,” he said when asked about Mr. Ferrer’s meeting with Rev. Sharpton. “There are people who are going to be attending the Yankees game today. And everyone has to do what they can and deal with the day in their individual way.”

Mr. Weiner’s next stop was at the state’s first black church, the Mother African Methodist Episcopal Zion Church in Harlem, where he addressed the congregation, speaking about how New Yorkers and Americans should learn lessons from tragedies like the terrorist attacks of September 11, 2001, and Hurricane Katrina, and make improvements to get better “every single day.”

On his way out, he was asked about negative comments Rev. Sharpton made about him that morning on his radio show.

“September 11 is a day when we come together to talk about the things that unite us, and I’m trying to wage a campaign to talk about what keeps us together, what keeps us together as a party, and as a city,” he said. “And I’m going to keep on focusing on that, every neighborhood I go to.”

Asked specifically about the Amadou Diallo controversy that has spiraled around Mr. Ferrer throughout the campaign, Mr. Weiner said the killing – police shot to death an unarmed African immigrant who had committed no crime – should not be reduced to a “campaign slogan.”

“The tragedy of a person, shot 41 times, shot so many times that he had bullet holes in the bottom of his shoes, we should not use it as a political gotcha,” the congressman said. “We should commemorate his life and celebrate his life through learning.”

He insisted he was not campaigning by speaking at one of the country’s most historical black churches the day after one of the city’s preeminent black leaders came out in favor of his top political rival.

Soon after, Mr. Ferrer and Rev. Sharpton convened at Amy Ruth’s. The restaurant’s menu includes “The Rev. Al Sharpton,” which is chicken and waffles, fried or smothered, for $8.50 – as well as C.Virginia Fields, a Friday special, southern Alabama curried chicken, for $14.95. Ms. Fields, the Manhattan borough president, is also on tomorrow’s ballot, and is the only African-American candidate in the race.

Mr. Ferrer, who is the only Latino candidate in the mayoral race, and Rev. Sharpton, who toyed with endorsing Ms. Fields after Mr. Ferrer told a group of police sergeants March 15 that the Diallo killing was not a crime, sat side by side as they feasted on fried chicken in front of a crowd of television cameras and print reporters.

After lunch, the two appeared on the sidewalk for a joint press event before heading together to the Bronx.

Mr. Ferrer said he was “extraordinarily pleased” and “proud” to receive the endorsement – but denied that he was engaging in politics on September 11.

Rev. Sharpton said he hadn’t forgiven Mr. Ferrer for his Diallo comments but viewed Mr. Ferrer as the best choice in the Democratic field. “I have said I disagree with the statement, but I also say that Mr. Ferrer’s also the one with the best record on Diallo. He went to jail with us. He was at every march, at every rally,” the candidate for the Democratic nomination for mayor in 1997 and for president in 2004 said.

“So the alternative is that you to do what? To reward those that were not with the movement, or to stand with the one that stood with us, that may have said something we disagree with. Freddy knows about my views on that and we discussed that.”

If no Democrat achieves 40% of the vote in the mayoral primary, the top two vote-getters vie in a runoff September 27.