On Tuesday afternoon, hundreds of first responders filled St. Patrick Catholic Church in Washington, D.C., to attend the 31st annual Blue Mass, a tradition that honors the sacrifice of those serving in law enforcement and public safety.

Organized by the Archdiocese of Washington, Auxiliary Bishop Roy Campbell celebrated the May 6 Mass, as Cardinal Robert McElroy is currently in Rome for the papal conclave. 

Several prominent members of law enforcement participated in the Mass, including Chief John Thomas Manger of the U.S. Capitol Police and Deputy Director Michele Ward Leo of the U.S. Customs and Border Protection, who both served as lectors. 

“Today, we gather to celebrate the Eucharist, as well as gathering to celebrate all of you, our first responders, our police officers, our firefighters, our ENTs, all who push into situations … most of us are doing our best to get away from,” said Monsignor Salvatore A. Criscuolo, retired pastor of St. Patrick’s and a police chaplain, who gave the homily. 

“You wear uniforms that the world recognizes. But underneath that uniform, whether it be a uniform or a suit, there’s a human soul, a human being, a beloved child of God,” he continued, emphasizing the crucial need for first responders to be dependent on Christ. 

“Because only Christ can truly feed the deep hunger and all of you,” Criscuolo said, “the hunger for peace after the chaos of death, the hunger for justice after everything is so unjust, the hunger for hope when everything feels hopeless.” 

Christ, he said, does not make himself distant from suffering and tragedy but rather is “in the mix” of it all.

“So when you answer that 911 call, you bring presence, peace, and safety,” he continued. “When you rescue someone who is trapped or injured, you bring mercy. When you come to someone who is frightened by the world here, you become an instrument of the hands of God. That is your vocation.”

Msgr. Criscuolo has served as a chaplain to law enforcement for 37 years. Previously, he served as pastor at St. Patrick Church for 16 years.

“I’ve been on the streets when there have been some real difficulties,” he told CNA after the Mass, reflecting on his years of experience as a chaplain. Recalling the Sept. 11, 2001, terrorist attacks, he said: “9/11 was the first time ever I had seen fear on police officers’ faces.” 

Serving as a chaplain to first responders, he said, is “a rewarding ministry, and they give back to me more than I could ever give to them. They’re always very supportive … They’re all family people: men and women, husbands and wives … and they come here every day, and they don’t know what they’re going to be facing.” 

After the Presentation of the Colors, the names of 13 fallen service members from the Washington, D.C., metropolitan area as well as 15 officers from previous years stretching back as far as 1885 were read in a solemn tribute as representatives of their divisions or family members stood in recognition.

 While the tradition of holding a Blue Mass at St. Patrick’s began just over 30 years ago, Msgr. Criscuolo said the tradition of having special Masses for police officers goes back to the 1930s. 

“There was a Catholic police society and a Protestant society, and the [Catholic] police officers would have their Mass here every Mother’s Day, and all the Protestant officers would work,” he said. “Then in June, the Protestants had their service, and all the Catholics would work the streets for them.”

The tradition stopped for several years, he said, until “about 31 years ago, I decided we needed to bring this back again. And we did,” he concluded, smiling. “It gets bigger and bigger each year, which is so nice to see.”