Bishop Michael Mulvey celebrated the 20th Annual Blue Mass at Our Lady of Mount Carmel Church in Portland on Sept. 11. Joining him in the celebration were: Pastor Father Piotr Koziel and Deacon Robert Rosales of Our Lady of Mount Carmel; Father Peter Elizardo, rector at Corpus Christi Cathedral and pastor of Sacred Heart; and those employed in the “Public Safety Field,” their families and friends.
Those employed in the Public Safety field are law enforcement officers, correctional officers, emergency 911 dispatchers, emergency medical services personnel and firefighters. Sir Knight Robert Rocha, the Corpus Christi Fire Chief, gave the keynote address.
The Blue Mass is usually held every year on the last week in September, to coincide with the Feast of St. Michael the Archangel, patron saint of those employed in the Public Safety field, but Bishop Mulvey requested that this year the Mass coincide with the 20th Anniversary of 9-11.
The first Blue Mass began on Sept. 29, 1934, when a Catholic priest, Father Thomas Dade from the Maryland Archdiocese, initiated the Catholic Police and Fireman’s Society in Washington, D.C. About 1,100 police and firefighters dressed in blue uniforms marched into St. Patrick Church for the first Blue Mass.
Since 2001, the Knights of Columbus at Sacred Heart in Mathis have continued the tradition of supporting the brave men and women in “blue.” According to Jesse Garcia, many parishes throughout the Diocese of Corpus Christi are now requesting to host future Blue Masses in their parishes.
Corpus Christi Pipes and Drums were part of the procession before and after Mass.
Retired Chief Jesse V. Garcia played “Taps” on his trumpet as roll call was read aloud in memory of deceased police officers, correctional officers and firefighters, who died during the previous year. Those officers were: Officer Sgt. Ruben Almanza from the Corpus Christi Police Department; Officers James Saaverda, Charles “Chuck” Williams and Deborah Garcia from the Port Police; Officers Mario Gracia Jr. and Steven Reyes Lopez from the Rockport Police Department; Officers Sgt. Ron Huegler, Deputies Joe “Hoover” Rodriguez and David Scheurich from San Patricio County; Corrections Officer Ricardo Hinojosa from Refugio County; Officer Matthew “Adam” Jimenez from Beeville; Esperanza Alaniz, Deputy Andrew J. Williamson and Captain Charles “Chuck” L. Kirk from Kenedy County Tele-Communicator; Officer San Juanita Lowke from the City of Corpus Christi Detention Center; Sgt. Chris Wilson from the Texas Parks and Wildlife Department; Officer Manuel Escobar from the City of Corpus Christi Airport Police; Trooper Chad Walker from the Texas Department of Public Safety; Deputies Sgt. Raul Salazar and Ben Benavides from Nueces County; and Eddie Saldivar from the Nueces County District Attorney Office.
The deceased firefighters who were honored were: David Cisneros from the Alice Fire Department; Rosa L Hoelscher from the Annaville Fire Department; Garcia, Buck R. Sosa, Homero S. Serna, Marcos R. Trevino, Ralph W. Walker, Alfred C. Flores, Mavimo Vera Jr. and Wilford L. Young Jr. from Corpus Christi Fire Department Antonio; David L. Cavaness from NAS Corpus Christi Fire Department; Leslie Cole from the Fulton Fire Department; Anton Schonhoeft from the Ingleside Fire Department; Richard R. Ehmann from Ingleside on the Bay Fire Department; Bobby Almager from the Kingsville Fire Department; Robert Longone from Nueces County ESD #3; Thomas W. Cass from the Portland Fire Department; Douglas T. Commons and George E. Kain from the Refinery Terminal Fire Company; William A. Pattillo II, Joaquin Villarreal III and Rolando De Alejando from the Robstown Fire Department; Harris Baker from the Rockport Fire Department; Donald L. Pullin from the Refugio Fire Department.
Those recognized for Outstanding Community Service were: Senior Police Communications Operator Anna Mendez from the Texas Department of Public Safety; retired CC Firefighter Porfirio Gutierrez and a parishioner of St. John the Baptist, Sr.; Emergency Medical Technician Monica Garza in Mathis of Our Lady of Victory Parish in Beeville; retired Chief Don Pullin (in memoriam) from the Refugio Fire Department; Leticia Lopez Boynton from the Texas McConnel Unit in Beeville and parishioner of Our Lady of Victory in Beeville; and Constable Francisco “Frank” Cantu in Odem, precinct 2 and parishioner of Sacred Heart Parish in Odem.