BARDSTOWN, Ky. — On the morning of Sept. 18, hundreds of white paper bags decorated with drawings of American flags, police officers, firetrucks and ambulances lined the sidewalks of the Basilica of St. Joseph Proto-Cathedral in Bardstown, Ky.
Inside the cathedral, children from St. Joseph School greeted uniformed public safety personnel for a special liturgy organized in honor of first responders. The Mass for the preservation of peace and justice, known as the Blue Mass, recognizes first responders, such as law enforcement officers, emergency medical crews and members of the public safety committee.
In the past, the Blue Mass was held annually in Louisville. This year, the archdiocese is celebrating two Blue Masses. The second will be held at 9 a.m. Sept. 29 at St. Michael the Archangel Church in Jeffersontown.
During the Mass in Bardstown, Archbishop Shelton J. Fabre told the first responders that the archdiocese “wanted to reach out to the southern part of the archdiocese to express our prayer and support for them and also call down God’s blessing upon them.”
“Through this Mass, we welcome all of our first responders, those who seek after the common good for the community in emergency situations.”
— Archbishop Shelton J. Fabre
The Blue Mass is “an annual expression of our great, great thanks to you and of our support in all that you do,” he said. “Through this Mass, we welcome all of our first responders, those who seek after the common good for the community in emergency situations.”
Deacon Greg Gitschier of St. Patrick Church, who serves as a Louisville Metro Police Department chaplain, delivered the homily.
As a retired police officer and secret service member, Gitschier told those gathered, “I lived the life that many of you are living right now.”
Speaking to the schoolchildren gathered, he said, “You have peacemakers sitting here in front of you,” referring to the first responders, seated in the front pews of the church.
“Every moment of every day, the people in front of you stand by to come to your aid,” he said. “The Blue Mass is an occasion to confirm our appreciation for the women and men who are set with the task to get between us and harm.”
Deacon Gitschier also reminded the congregation “to remember all first responders who have lost their lives in the line of duty.”
At the conclusion of the Mass, Archbishop Fabre encouraged the schoolchildren to “think and pray” about becoming first responders, police officers or firefighters.
Timothy Elmore, a parishioner of the proto-cathedral and employee of Jeffersontown Fire/EMS, was among the first responders who attended the Mass.
For Elmore, his faith and his career “go hand-in-hand” as he seeks “to live a life of service,” he said during an interview following the Mass.
As public service personnel, “you encounter people at their worst times,” he said. During those moments, “a few kind words make a huge difference.”
The second Blue Mass will be celebrated at 9 a.m. Sept. 29 at St. Michael. Father Jeffery Shooner, vicar general of the Archdiocese of Louisville, will preach.
