First Annual Blue Mass Celebrated
On November 18 the Westfield Police Department celebrated the first of what they hope to be an annual Blue Mass.
A Blue Mass is a Mass celebrated annually in the church for those employed in the field of public safety, which includes police officers, firefighters, corrections officers and paramedics.
In the United States, the Blue Mass tradition began in September 1934, when Father Thomas Dade of the Archdiocese of Baltimore formed the Catholic Police and Fireman’s Society. That year, the first Blue Mass was celebrated for police officers and firefighters. The name comes from the traditional uniform color associated with law enforcement.
A video of the entrance ceremony can be found on Town of Westfield, NJ Police Department Facebook page.
Photos by Town of Westfield
