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Putting your life on the line to protect others
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September 28, 2023The Church was filled with the sound of bagpipes and excitement when Bishop Mulvey, priests and altar servers, police officers, firefighters and first responders followed in a solemn procession. The Blue Mass 2023, this time in the Cathedral in Corpus Christi, honored all those who every day put their life on the line to keep our community safe.
“The Kingdom of God is not a place; it is among us if we live the law of God – love of neighbor,” said Bishop Michael Mulvey in his homily. In the Gospel, Jesus uses parables to describe God’s kingdom. One parable that is not easy to grasp is that of the workers of the last hour (Mt 20), where those who worked only one hour get the same wage as those who labored the whole day. “That’s not fair,” would be our reaction. However, this is the human perspective. God’s view is different, so the Bishop, referring to the first reading from Isaiah, says that God’s ways are not our ways. “God is neither a capitalist nor a communist or a socialist,” so Bishop Mulvey. Instead, he is a “merciful Father.”
“How merciful are we? How welcoming are we?” asked the Bishop. He posed Mary as a model for every Christian who, when Simeon prophesized her that “a sword will pierce her soul,” did not say, “That’s not fair,” but instead took a leap of faith and grew in her understanding of God’s will.
After the solemn Mass, where the participants prayed for all deceased police officers, firefighters and first responders, all participants honored the flag outside the cathedral.
During the following banquet in St. Joseph’s Hall, keynote speaker Chris Cooper, Nueces County Sheriff, emphasized, “We don’t have a job; we have a vocation.” It is a special calling to live out the faith as public servants.
Several police officers, employees and firefighters were presented awards by the Knights of Columbus for bravery and exceptional efforts at work. The first two awardees were members of the CCPD: Police Officer Gustavo Medina, a father of three young kids, joined the police force in 2019. On December 2, 2022, he was requested to assist a deputy in following a stolen vehicle. The three men inside the car realized they were followed, but they stopped after a brief chase. One exited the car and took off on foot; Officer Medina ran after him.
In a narrow alley, the men drew a handgun and shot Medina, who, despite grave injuries, continued to fight and subdued his assailant. After emergency surgery, he continues battling to overcome his injuries and hopes to return to the streets soon. For his courage, he was recognized as Texas Top Cop and received a Star of Texas Award from Governor Greg Abbott.
Similarly, Senior Officer Brandon Cordell responded to a call of a suspicious man checking out cars. When locating the offender, Cordell was shot in the arm. Together with his colleague Paul Lisowski, they were able to subdue the man who continued to shoot at them even from the ground. Cordell was honored with a Star of Texas Award for his courage under fire.
Ruben Rodriguez was honored for being in public service his entire life. After graduating in 1973, he enlisted in the Air Force during the Vietnam War. During those four years, he earned his nickname “Radar,” which stuck with him. Afterward, he was hired by the Nueces County Sheriff’s Office, where he stayed for over 28 years. After retiring nine years ago, he joined the U.S. Customs and is currently stationed in Eagle Pass. He is an active parishioner at St. Patrick’s, volunteers at Church and makes rosaries.
The Award for Communications was given to Manuel T. Garza, an active parishioner at Most Precious Blood. He started in 2007 as a Police Communications Operator – answering calls, deploying officers, and giving his all in this demanding profession.
Captain Armando Tunchez from the Alice Fire Department was recognized for his 23 years of outstanding community service: “He thinks of others before he thinks of himself.” Thanking for the award, Tunchez said, “If you love what you do, you won’t work a day in your life.” Even if his job is stressful and dangerous, he loves his job and believes that “God puts us where he needs us… We see and experience terrible and horrific things, but we are also blessed to help those experiencing the unfortunate events and remind them that they aren’t alone.”
Two more active firefighters, John R. Lewis and Michael Villarreal, a parishioner of Chris the King Parish, were recognized for their service - they put their lives on the line to protect others.
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