16th Annual Blue Mass honors law enforcement
For another year, members of law enforcement from Mercer,
Monmouth, Ocean and Burlington counties filled the pews of St.
Mary of the Assumption Cathedral in Trenton for the 2015 Blue
Mass.
For the last 16 years, the Diocese of Trenton and the Blue Mass
Committee have been honoring law enforcement personnel with a
special mass thanking them for their service and sacrifice. Most Reverend David M. O’Connell, C.M. Bishop of Trenton, led the April 7
prayer service as hundreds of officers listened to his words thanking
them for their dedication.
“These women and men put their lives on the line for us. They
protect us; they enable us to sleep at night. I think that’s something
that creates a debt that we owe them; a debt of gratitude and a debt
of respect. They give up their lives for us and in the Easter season we
know that’s the most important gift that can be given,” praised Bishop O’Connell.
The mass honored fallen police officers including Christopher
Goodell of Waldwick, Stephen Petruzzello of Cliffside Park, Reinaldo
CRAIG PITTELLI PHOTOS/COURTESY OF THE MONITOR, NEWSPAPER OF THE
DIOCESE OF TRENTON. FOR A STORY AND PHOTO GALLERY ON THIS EVENT, GO TO
TRENTONMONITOR.COM.
From left: Howell Township Local 228 Patrolman Riaz Motani, Detective Chris Nagy and Patrolman John Lopez stand with State PBA
Executive Vice-President Marc Kovar and President Pat Colligan.
Arocha Jr. of Newark, Detective John Scott Stevens of the Ocean
Country Prosecutor’s Office, Detective Melvin Santiago of Jersey City
and NYPD Officers Wenjian Liu and Rafael Ramos.
Members of the Port Authority Police Pipes and Drums
performed during the mass, which was attended by New Jersey
Lieutenant Governor Kim Guadagno, acting Attorney General John
Jay Hoffman and Trenton Mayor Eric Jackson, while President Pat
Colligan and Executive Vice-President Marc Kovar were among
those representing the NJ State PBA. d
www.njcopsmagazine.com
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