Weirton honors first responders with Blue Mass
OFFERING PRAYERS — The Rev. Dennis Schuelkens Jr. offered prayers for local emergency personnel during a Blue Mass celebrated at St. Joseph the Worker Parish in Weirton Monday. -- Craig Howell
RECOGNIZED — Near the end of Monday’s Blue Mass held at St. Joseph the Worker Parish in Weirton, police officers and firefighters in attendance were recognized for their service to the community. -- Craig Howell
OFFERING PRAYERS — The Rev. Dennis Schuelkens Jr. offered prayers for local emergency personnel during a Blue Mass celebrated at St. Joseph the Worker Parish in Weirton Monday. -- Craig Howell
RECOGNIZED — Near the end of Monday’s Blue Mass held at St. Joseph the Worker Parish in Weirton, police officers and firefighters in attendance were recognized for their service to the community. -- Craig Howell
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WEIRTON -- As has become tradition in recent years, the community gathered at St. Joseph the Worker Parish Monday for a Blue Mass celebrated in honor of the service and sacrifice of first responders and to remember the victims of the Sept. 11, 2001, terror attacks.
Representatives of the Weirton Fire Department, Weirton Police Department and other emergency services joined residents, as well as students, faculty and staff of Weirton Madonna High School, St. Joseph the Worker School and St. Paul School.
"This Mass is our opportunity to thank you for your service," Recheal Fuscardo, principal of St. Joseph School, said in welcoming the first responders.
The Rev. Dennis Schuelkens Jr., in offering the homily, remembered the 2,977 individuals who died during the Sept. 11 attacks when commercial planes were hijacked and crashed into the World Trade Center towers in New York City, the Pentagon in Washington, D.C., and a field in Somerset County, Pa.
Schuelkens noted, in particular, the loss of the Rev. Mychal Judge, a Franciscan friar who served as a chaplain with the New York Fire Department.
"When he heard of the attacks, he immediately went to the North Tower," Schulkens explained, describing Judge's response as he offered prayers for the rescuers on scene, as well as the injured and the dead in the North Tower lobby where an emergency command center had been established.
When the South Tower collapsed, debris filled the command center. Judge initially was thought to have been killed by striking debris, but later reports indicate he died from a heart attack while praying.
He was designated as "Victim 0001" as the first individual to be identified.
Schuelkens said it was this same spirit shown by Judge that is displayed by all firefighters, police officers and others when answering the call to help others.
"When there is danger, they will run to it," he said. "They want to be there. They want to support their brothers and sisters. They want to protect."
Schuelkens said there is no greater sacrifice.
This is the seventh year St. Joseph the Worker has celebrated a Blue Mass in tribute to the Sept. 11 anniversary.
In addition to offering prayers, the first responders in attendance were presented with a gift by the students to show their appreciation, while outside the church, a salute to the dead was performed by the American Legion Honor Guard, accompanied by bagpipes played by Betsy Bethel-McFarland.
A luncheon was served at the St. Joseph School gymnasium following the Mass.