May 9, 2003

Alan Etter

Police officers, firefighters, paramedics and political leaders attended the ninth annual Blue Mass, held at St. Patrick's Catholic Church.  The
Archbishop of Washington Theodore Cardinal McCarrick led hundreds of attendees in prayer for the protection of first responders.

The mass continues a tradition that began at St. Patrick's in 1934 and ended in 1975.  During those years, police officers would congregate to pray for their comrades who fell in the line of duty.  The ceremony was resurrected 1994 and has evolved into a combination of remembrances of those who've fallen in the past year - and a celebration of the spirit of public safety workers.