MADISON — “It would be hard to imagine our country or our city without our first responders,” said Bishop Donald J. Hying of Madison at the sixth annual Blue Mass held at St. Bernard Parish in Madison. “Where would we be? We’d be in situations of desperation, darkness, violence, suffering, and death all the time.”
The Mass was held on May 16 and was attended by emergency personnel including police, fire, and emergency medical technicians as well as several priests from the Diocese of Madison. After the Mass, all in attendance were invited to the lower level of the church for a reception provided by Gunderson Funeral and Cremation Care.
Bishop reflects on a saint
In his homily, Bishop Hying connected the work of first responders with the Gospel and the sacrificial love of St. Maximillian Kolbe who died in Auschwitz death camp in Poland in 1941.
“Father Kolbe was a Polish priest [who] founded a friary that printed Bibles, spiritual books, magazines — everything to get the word out,” said the bishop. “He was just passionate about preaching the Word of God and bringing people to the Lord.”
He mentioned how the saint’s monastery was shut down when the Nazis came to Poland. He was sent to Auschwitz and, “It was there that his priesthood and his sacrificial love came to their ultimate and traumatic summation.
“One day, a prisoner from Father Kolbe’s cell block escaped, and, in retribution, 10 prisoners were randomly chosen to die by starvation in an underground bunker,” continued Bishop Hying. “[St. Kolbe] stepped forward and volunteered to take the place of a man who was both a husband and a father.”
He connected this to the “brave, courageous, zealous, sacrificial, heroic, loving men and women who are willing to put their lives on the line.”
After the homily, two representatives — the chief of police for UW-Madison, Kristen Roman, and a representative from the Fitchburg fire department — lit red, white, and blue candles to commemorate those who had fallen in the line of duty.
Additional reflections
When the Mass concluded, three representatives offered their closing remarks.
Chief of Police for the City of Madison Shon Barnes spoke of the sacrifice and bravery of police officers everywhere.
“They did not make their sacrifice for wealth,” he said. “They did not do it for fame.”
He spoke on the selfless nature of the service of police officers and connected that to the courage and faith of those found in the bible: Joshua, David, and Daniel.
“To undertake this calling is to understand there will always be more to do and more to serve,” he said.
Roman offered similar thoughts, reflecting on her 33 years in police service.
“Regardless of one’s specific faith, there is for a great many of us in this profession a profoundly spiritual dimension to it,” she said.
The chief of the Fitchburg Fire Department then spoke on behalf of Assistant Chief Derrek Weum of the Maple Bluff Fire Department. In an unprepared brief speech, he reflected on his own Catholic faith and asked all to “continue to advocate for your emergency services back home.”
The evening concluded with a reception.