Blue Mass October 2

Saint Vincent Archabbey, College and Seminary and the Diocese of Greensburg will hold a Blue Mass, at 11:30 a.m. Sunday, October 2, in the Saint Vincent Archabbey Basilica, to honor local and state police officers, firefighters, and emergency medical service personnel. Father Joseph Adams, O.S.B., director of public safety at Saint Vincent College, will be principal celebrant and homilist.

The Blue Mass was first celebrated in 1934 at Saint Patrick’s Church in Washington, D.C. Since then, the Blue Mass has become a tradition in which local communities gather together to celebrate and thank those who serve in their communities as police officers, firefighters, as emergency medical service personnel along with their families. People of all faiths are invited to attend. The B lue Mass also honors those who have died in the line of duty.

Father Joseph is a monk and priest of Saint Vincent Archabbey. Following his ordination in 2009, he served as chaplain at Hunter Army Airfield in Savannah, Georgia. In 2011, he was deployed to Afghanistan. Upon his return, he served at Fort Benning, Georgia, and Fort Eustis, Virginia, until 2015 when he was deployed to serve in both Iraq and Jordan. He previously served as fire chief of the Saint Vincent Fire Department.

Concelebrating the Mass will be Archabbot Douglas R. Nowicki, O.S.B., the eleventh Archabbot of Saint Vincent Archabbey. He serves as chancellor of the college and seminary in addition to serving as spiritual leader of priories in Savannah, Georgia, Taiwan and Brazil.

 

Categories