Sept. 11 Blue Mass pays tribute to public servants

Indianapolis Metropolitan Police Department Lt. Vincent Cascella, center, prays the Lord’s Prayer with other participants during the sixth annual archdiocesan Blue Mass that paid tribute to public servants on Sept. 11 at the Calvary Cemetery Mausoleum Chapel in Indianapolis. He is a member of St. Roch Parish in Indianapolis, and represented the IMPD’s Southeast District at the liturgy. (Photo by Mary Ann Wyand)

By Mary Ann Wyand

First responders. The name says it all. They might be police officers, firefighters, emergency medical technicians or members of the Armed Forces.

As the first people to help others in crisis situations, they become lifelines—courageous heroes or heroines—who risk their lives to save the lives of others.

“They’re in places like Iraq and Afghanistan,” Father Steven Schwab explained in his homily during the sixth annual archdiocesan Blue Mass on Sept. 11 at the Calvary Cemetery Mausoleum Chapel in Indianapolis.

First responders are also in the streets and neighborhoods of cities, he said, protecting people who need their help.

“They work in the heat of the desert and in the subzero cold of winter nights,” Father Schwab said. “They’re under pressure, [and] sometimes under fire. But it’s not about them. It’s about the people they serve, and they seldom if ever take any credit” for their heroic service in the line of duty.

“Very few people are willing to take on a vocation like this,” he said. “And that’s what it is. It’s a vocation. It’s a life of service, a life of generosity, a life of selflessness.”

The pastor of St. Thomas Aquinas Parish in Indianapolis also served as the Catholic chaplain for the Marion County Sheriff’s Department and now serves the combined Indianapolis Metropolitan Police Department in that on-call ministry.

During four and a half years of helping public servants cope with tragedies as well as assisting people harmed by violent crimes, Father Schwab said, he has witnessed countless acts of heroism demonstrated by law enforcement officers and firefighters who have pledged their lives to serve and protect others.

“I’ve seen our sheriff’s [deputies], our police, our firefighters, … medics and paramedics perform spectacularly under the most difficult of circumstances,” he said, “and I’ve seen countless acts of compassion. I’ve seen how hard our detectives work to solve crimes and bring the guilty to justice. I’ve seen the community that forms when one of our own goes down. It’s awesome.”

Authors Eric Liu and Nick Hanauer, in their book The True Patriot, define patriotism with challenging words, Father Schwab explained. “ ‘True patriots,’ they say, ‘believe that freedom from responsibility is selfishness, freedom from sacrifice is cowardice, freedom from tolerance is prejudice, freedom from stewardship is exploitation, and freedom from compassion is cruelty.’ ”

On Sept. 11, he said, “we honor the real patriots. May those who are no longer with us rest in peace.”

Msgr. Joseph F. Schaedel, vicar general, was the celebrant for the liturgy, which also paid tribute to the 2,996 victims who lost their lives in the Sept. 11, 2001, terrorist attacks in New York, Pennsylvania and at the Pentagon.

Father James Wilmoth, pastor of St. Roch Parish in Indianapolis and chaplain of the Indianapolis Fire Department, concelebrated the memorial Mass with Father Schwab.

The Gospel reading from Luke emphasized the Greatest Commandment—love God with all your heart and your neighbor as yourself—and concluded with the parable of the Good Samaritan about God’s call to help others (Lk 10:25-37).

“Seven years ago today on 9/11, things happened to our country, in our country, that we thought we would never forget,” Msgr. Schaedel said in his opening remarks. “… We thought the world would never be the same again, and to a certain extent it’s not. But, on the other hand, God’s grace gives us healing.”

St. Rose of Lima parishioner John Stevens of Franklin, who is retired, said he participated in the Mass “because I realize all of us have quite a bit to be thankful for, and most especially for these guys.”

Our Lady of Lourdes parishioner Gabrielle Campo of Indianapolis said she came to the Blue Mass to pay tribute to public servants.

“They protect our freedom,” she said. “There are so many freedoms that we take for granted. … They are servants to us for the greater good. To lay down your life for others so they may live in freedom—there’s no greater gift than that.” †