Blue mass held to ‘bless’ public safety workers

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To show support and gratitude to public safety workers last night Knights of Columbus organized what’s called a Blue Mass at Corpus Christi Church in Galesburg.

Chris McCants is the church director with the Galesburg Knights of Columbus organization.

He explains that a blue mass is essentially a regular Catholic mass but that honors the community’s public safety workers.

McCants said this is the first year for a blue mass in Galesburg but many communities have done this for years. He admits that the idea was partially prompted by recent national scrutiny on police as there have been a rash of cases in which officers appear to have shot unarmed men of color.

McCants says that he respects the Black Lives Matter movement but as a Catholic Christian he believes all lives matter.

He told WGIL prior to the service that they weren’t going for an”in-your-face political message.”

“We want this to be a positive thing in the community,” McCants said. “I don’t want anyone to feel offended. We can’t do masses for everybody, but I just thought it would be a good idea for Galesburg to take advantage of this.”  

Public safety workers were encouraged to wear uniforms and many did.

Yesterday was also the feast of Archangels St. Gabriel, St. Raphael and St. Michael, the patron saint of police officers.

The first blue mass according to McCants was in St. Patrick’s Church in Washington D.C. in 1934.

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