Members of the Honor Guard present the colors at the start of the Blue Mass Sept. 11 at St. Paul the Apostle Parish in Davenport.
By Anne Marie Amacher
The Catholic Messenger
DAVENPORT — First responders from the Quad-City area and beyond were honored Sept. 11 during the Blue Mass at St. Paul the Apostle Parish. Bishop Dennis Walsh presided at the Mass with more than 300 people in attendance. Concelebrants were Father Bruce DeRammelaere, Father William Kneemiller and Father Christopher Young.
Traditionally, the parish celebrates the Blue Mass in May, but moved the liturgy to an open date on the bishop’s schedule — Sept. 11, the 24th anniversary of the terrorist attacks against the United States. The Mass began with an Honor Guard Presentation of Colors by members of the Davenport Police Department and Scott County Sheriff’s Department.
Father DeRammelaere, pastor of St. Paul the Apostle, welcomed the gathering to honor first responders and those who have lost their lives. “We must never forget. We thank you. We thank God for your service. We pray that he protect you.”
“Today we gather for the Blue Mass, a beautiful tradition of honoring and praying for those who serve on the front lines, risking their lives for the well-being of our communities,” Bishop Walsh said in his homily. “And we do so on a day etched into the collective memory of our nation …”
“On that day we saw the worst of humanity, but we also witnessed the very best, as men and women in uniform ran toward danger without a moment’s hesitation. Their actions were a living, breathing testament to the Gospel we just heard.”
Referring to Matthew’s Gospel, Bishop Walsh said, “Jesus offers us the Beatitudes, a roadmap to holiness that seems to turn the world’s wisdom on its head…. These are not abstract ideas. They are virtues that are lived out every single day in the dangerous, messy and unpredictable reality of your work.”
“You are the peacemakers who run toward conflict. You are the merciful who bring aid to those in their most vulnerable moments. You are the ones who hunger and thirst for righteousness, striving to bring order and justice to a world that is often chaotic and unjust.”
“The Beatitudes,” he said “are not simply a list of qualities to be admired. They are a call to action.”
The nature of love is sacrificial, not self-seeking. It is a gift of self. “This is the very essence of the vocation of a first responder.”
“We take this moment to remember and to honor those who, in the faithful discharge of their duty, have made the ultimate sacrifice. They have laid down their lives in service to their neighbors, and in doing so, have shown us the face of Christ,” Bishop Walsh said.
“As we lift them up to the Lord, we also lift up their families and loved ones. We know that their grief is great, and we ask for God’s abundant consolation to be their anchor and their strength,” he continued.
Bishop Dennis Walsh, center, presides at a Blue Mass for first responders Sept. 11 at St. Paul the Apostle Parish in Davenport.
The bishop asked the gathering to remember “those who have made similar sacrifices in the years since. Their heroism was not a random act. It was the culmination of a life dedicated to service, to the Beatitudes and to the sacrificial love of Christ.”
“Today, we pray for you and your families. We ask that God may keep you safe and grant you the strength, courage and perseverance you need to endure. May the peace you strive to establish in our world be the peace that fills your own hearts. And may your witness of sacrificial love be a beacon of hope for all.” As Mass concluded, Bishop Walsh blessed the first responders.
Leon Spataru, a medic and member of St. Paul the Apostle Parish, said he is thankful the parish offers the Blue Mass. A third-time attendee, he said, “We (first responders) appreciate that we have this.”
Luke Seele of the Coralville Police Department and a member of St. Wenceslaus Parish in Iowa City attended the Blue Mass for the first time. He was unable to attend last year, but his family did.
“The Mass was beautiful. And it was great having the bishop here.” He expressed gratitude to the organizers. “They did a beautiful job.”
Grayson Reed, a former Iowa Department of Corrections employee who also has worked to address mental health issues and suicide prevention for first responders said he loved the Mass. He appreciated the bishop’s prayers for first responders who have fallen in the line of duty. “I lost a good friend four years ago who was killed on duty.” The bishop’s words “meant so much to my heart.”
Following Mass, Knights of Columbus Council 15725 hosted a dinner in Denning Hall.
