When Carroll County firefighter and paramedic Michael Johnson was asked to participate in his parish’s Blue Mass, he hesitated because he said he didn’t choose his profession for recognition.
However, when that recognition came during a service at St. John in Westminster, he said he was humbled and grateful for the experience.
Parishes around the archdiocese paid tribute to first responders with a variety of services during October, and Johnson’s experience was typical of the recognition bestowed upon Catholic police officers and firefighters.
“It was a great experience,” said Johnson, a firefighter for 25 years and a father of four. “To be honest, I was a little hesitant to participate because I don’t do my job to be honored. However, once I did participate, it was a very humbling and positive experience.
“It was great to be dressed in my blues and celebrate Mass with my fellow officers, my wife and our families,” he said.
He said the services help parishioners put a face with first responders. “A lot of times, people just look at us as someone who shows up when they need us,” he said. “I think it’s important to know we’re members of their parish.”
Johnson, a member of St. John for more than a dozen years, said his Catholic faith plays a key role in his career.
“To me, everything I have and do is centered on my faith,” he said. “It’s a gift, especially to know when I’m with someone who is close to death or just died. To know that you are the first person to pray for that person’s soul is powerful.”
Archbishop William E. Lori noted the powerful sacrifice first responders make each day for our community as he celebrated a Blue and Red Mass Oct. 23 at St. Joseph’s Monastery Parish in West Baltimore.
“You, our first responders – police officers, firefighters, public safety officials – and all the civic officials and administrators who support them – you strive each day to be ambassadors of justice here in the City of Baltimore and throughout the State of Maryland,” Archbishop Lori said in his homily. “While none of us is blessed with God’s ability to read the human heart, you are called upon each day to respond to life’s most difficult situations with that mixture of justice and mercy that reflects God’s own justice and mercy.
“Your work is not just a job. It is a calling. It isn’t easy. On the contrary, carrying out your duties requires great sacrifice on your part. You often endure mental trauma as you witness desperate conditions and great suffering. You can easily find yourselves carrying emotional wounds. You also put yourselves in significant physical danger and some, in this past year alone, have made the ultimate sacrifice. We honor their sacrifice today.”
The Mass at St. Joseph’s Monastery paid “tribute to law enforcement officers, firefighters, paramedics and all public safety professionals who serve with valor and integrity – both active and retired.”
The Mass also honored first responders who lost their lives in the past year, including Baltimore City police officer Keona Holley and Baltimore firefighters Lt. Paul Butrim, Kenneth Lacayo and Lt. Kelsey Sadler, who died in the line of duty in 2021 and 2022.
Megan Warfield, a parishioner of Our Lady of Hope in Dundalk, also was honored at the Mass. Less than 24 hours before giving birth, the member of the Bowleys Quarters Volunteer Fire Rescue and Marine Department tended to an automobile accident victim in early October after she came upon the scene of a crash on Eastern Boulevard in Middle River.
Schools from around the archdiocese participated by making thousands of personalized thank-you cards that were collected by the archdiocese’s Office of Community Affairs and then distributed to first responders, including to those at the Mass at St. Joseph’s Monastery.
Baltimore Mayor Brandon Scott, Baltimore Police Commissioner Michael Harrison, Baltimore Fire Chief Niles Ford, Annapolis Police Chief Edward Jackson and Frostburg Police Chief Nicolas Costello all attended the service.
Blue Masses and prayer services are powerful experiences for more than first responders, serving as educational opportunities for children and adults alike.
St. Joseph School in Fullerton hosted a Faith and Blue prayer assembly on Oct. 10, gathering to honor members of the Baltimore County fire and police departments. Schoolchildren gave special attention to 20 parents who serve with the departments as well as first responders who regularly visit the school for safety checks.
The school prayer service, which Baltimore County Police Chief Melissa Hyatt attended, dovetailed with a Blue Mass the parish hosted the day before as part of its Faith and Blue Weekend.
St. Joseph School holds a monthly charity service project, and September’s project was a two-day collection to raise money for donations to purchase gift cards to treat first responders to lunch. The children raised $1,000 in just two days and gift cards were presented to first responders at the October prayer assembly.
Jill Prevatt, who helped organize the school event along with St. Joseph Principal Chrissie Ashby, said it is vital for children to get to know the first responders.
“It’s so important that these kids look up to these people,” Prevatt said. “You don’t want to just get to know them when you need them. We want to thank them for what they do and learn what it is like to do such an important job. It’s great for our children to be able to thank them and put a face to these people who are so vital to our community.”
As part of its weekend of events, St. Joseph partnered with the Baltimore County Police Department’s Parkville Precinct and Captain Brian Edwards to form a committee to “facilitate safer, stronger, more just and unified communities by directly enabling local partnerships among law enforcement professionals, residents, businesses and community groups through the connection of local faith-based organizations.”
A committee of Pastor Father Jess Bolger, Associate Pastor Fr. John Rapisarda, Director of Faith Formation Theresa Stitz, Director of Youth Ministry Sherrie Palmateer, School Principal Chrissie Ashby and parishioner Kathi Trimble planned the Faith and Blue Weekend at St. Joseph in Fullerton.
During his homily at the Mass at St. Joseph Monastery, Archbishop Lori thanked first responders on behalf of the archdiocese, noting what a difficult job they can face with negativity often directed toward them.
“You have accepted your noble calling, which you fulfill with courage and humility,” he said. “You serve children, women and men, many of whom you never met … that is, until their moment of greatest need – and many you will never meet again. You encounter them in moments of violence, chaos, uncertainty, and fear. And many – more than you know perhaps – find hope in your selfless actions and security in your courageous service. On behalf of the Archdiocese of Baltimore, I offer collective and heartfelt thanks.”
Email Gerry Jackson at gjackson@CatholicReview.org
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