.@mcpnews Chief Tom Manger at #BlueMass other depts here including @fairfaxpolice @AnnapolisPD & @CapitolPolice pic.twitter.com/vjlu22DOJs
— Megan Cloherty (@ClohertyWTOP) May 5, 2015#BlueMass underway at St Patricks in DC in honor of fallen officers https://t.co/xmmj4wlsQt
— Megan Cloherty (@ClohertyWTOP) May 5, 2015Flag hoisted over 9th & G streets outside St. Patricks Church for 21st annual #BlueMass for fallen officers pic.twitter.com/Vz18ZWUwbK
— Megan Cloherty (@ClohertyWTOP) May 5, 2015
WASHINGTON — Officers from local and federal jurisdictions from as far away as New York, Philadelphia and Annapolis are all in downtown D.C. for the annual Blue Mass, honoring officers killed in the line of duty.
The noon procession outside St. Patrick’s Church on 9th and G streets passed between two D.C. Fire ladder trucks hoisting a massive American flag over the intersection.
Inside St. Patrick’s Church, representatives from dozens of departments, including the DEA, Department of Justice, U.S. Park Police and Maryland State Police as well as Alexandria Police, Fairfax County Police, Metropolitan Police and Prince William County police and others filled the pews.
In light of recent tensions between police and their communities, the Archbishop of Washington Donald Cardinal Wuerl spoke during his homily about the challenge in finding peace; which he called the “right and legacy of everyone.”
“I think what resonates is that we have young women and men willing to step-up and protect the community and serve the community,” says U.S. Capitol Police Chief Kim Dine.
At prayer time, Montgomery County Police Chief Tom Manger bowed his head in reverence to those lives lost. Later he spoke to the contrast between the solemn nature of the Blue Mass and the violent events of last week in Baltimore.
“I recall vividly when the officers were getting pelted with rocks and bottles and there were community members who stood between those trouble makers and those cops. And so, today is a day to celebrate the service of men and women and acknowledge the sacrifices they made,” Manger said.
As the names of the local fallen officers were read during the service, one-by-one, representatives from their departments stood and called out, “Present.”
One of the officers named was 25-year-old New York police officer Brian Moore who died after he was shot in the head while on duty last Saturday.
“The young officer who was killed in New York over the weekend, affects all of us. And it’s really important to be able to stop to give thanks to these men and women for their sacrifice but also to thank their families,” says Prince George’s County Police Chief Mark Magaw said.
The annual event is a reunion of sorts for local law enforcement, but most importantly for them, it provides a chance to pause and honor those who gave their lives while serving their communities.
“It’s a unique profession because we rely on each other for our lives so we build a special bond. But I think in the police world, we’ve been working very hard for decades to build a special bond with the community as well,” Chief Dine said.
