CV NEWS FEED // St. Joseph Catholic Church in Ogden, Utah, last week celebrated a Blue Mass to honor the heroism and sacrifice of police, first responders, and public safety officers.
Fr. Joshua Maria Santos celebrated the Blue Mass on May 10, just two days before the beginning of National Police Week.
“It’s basically a celebration, giving the parishioners and the community of Ogden and St. Joseph the opportunity to recognize the sacrifice of public safety,” John Valdez, a retired officer and now-chaplain of the Ogden City Police Department, told the local news outlet Standard-Examiner.
During the Mass, the church also took a special collection for the family of Sgt. Bill Hooser, of the neighboring Santaquin Police Department.
According to the Standard-Examiner, “Hooser was killed May 5 after being hit by a semi truck while assisting a Utah Highway Patrol officer with a traffic stop of the same vehicle.” The funeral service for Hooser was May 13.
This was the first Blue Mass ever celebrated at St. Joseph Catholic Church, but, according to the Standard-Examiner, it wouldn’t be the last.
Fr. Santos referred to the Blue Mass as the first of an “annual” celebration recognizing first responders, firefighters, public safety officers, and police.
Valdez told the Standard-Examiner, “[Fr. Santos] wants to expand it from this point into the future, really trying to break down the barriers of how people feel toward law enforcement in general.”
