First responders received blessings, encouragement and a courtesy luncheon via a special Blue Mass service held by St. Thomas, Eustis, on Oct. 2. The church invited local police, fire and rescue, EMS and sheriffs to come and receive anointing followed by lunch.
It was the first time the church had offered the service, although similar events had been held in the area before, said The Rev. Matthew Perreault, rector. A dozen or more first responders of various positions were there, although some were called away during the service for emergencies. Those who remained came forward to receive anointing, and the church also prayed repose for those killed in the line of duty.
“It was very meaningful because one of the sheriff’s deputies had been shot and killed back in 2014,” Perreault said. “There had been some recent legal developments with the person who murdered him, so there was a sense of rawness among some of the sheriff’s deputies. I had a conversation with one of the chaplains, and they were grateful we were doing this.”
Those in attendance were appreciative of the luncheon after the service, and the church then delivered the leftover food to the fire station in Eustis to be enjoyed by the fire department and sheriff’s department.
Perreault said the timing of the first annual event was planned around the Sept. 29 Feast of Saint Michael, and early plans are being made for a 2023 event on Oct. 1. Interestingly, the U.S. Congress has designated Oct. 28 as National First Responders Day.
“The concept of a Blue Mass is particularly tied to the idea of the Feast of Saint Michael and All Angels,” Perreault said. “It’s helpful because it gives us those themes of angels as God’s servants, and then servants of the people among first responders. There are obvious ties there that help us to make this more of a gospel encounter rather than a simple thank you. It can be a thank you with a gospel encounter. And that is a powerful witness that the church can provide.”
Even though he has a few personal connections with first responders, the rector’s heart to serve them comes not because of those friendships but from a sense of gratitude.
“Why I’m passionate about this is because of the importance of the gospel, reaching out into the community and showing people some of the things we may have an inclination to do, to be grateful to our first responders,” Perreault said. “That’s a fairly common thing, especially here in the American South. The police (support) flags – there are a handful of them in my community. We don’t have that where I’m from in Canada. But there seems to be this sense of ‘We ought to respect our first responders and show them our gratitude.'”
Still, he is aware that even in the U.S., with flags of support on display, the circumstances of their careers mean first responders, and police in particular, are not always treated warmly.
“It’s not an easy job, and they are most visible during difficult circumstances, which means they often don’t have the best reputation among some folks,” Perreault explained. “Who likes getting pulled over for a speeding ticket or things like that? But once you need the police, once you need EMS, once you need the fire department, you’re grateful for them, even if the situation that requires their need is not something you would choose to be in.”
Beyond gratitude and recognition of service, honoring first responders is a gospel imperative, he said. He hopes the Blue Mass becomes a way for the church to express love and send a message to the community about “who we are as an identity at St. Thomas, and who Christ calls us to be in a way that reminds people that our faith calls us to act.”