Cincinnati Auxiliary Bishop Joseph R. Binzer was the principal celebrant at the eighth annual Blue Mass held Sept. 23 at the Cathedral of St. Peter in Chains.

Persons of all faiths are invited to join in prayer and thanksgiving for the service and dedication of our community’s safety personnel. Attendees who arrived early at the cathedral were able to see area fire trucks set up with flags hung from their extended ladders, and to see officers on horseback.

“Blue Mass celebrations are held throughout the United States, usually in a cathedral setting, to honor the men and women who serve our communities as police, fire and safety personnel, said Cpt. Rick Ransick of the Cincinnati Fire Department, a member of the organizing committee for the event, noting the message of “appreciation, encouragement and solidarity with the safety personnel as keepers of order in our civil society,” in Bishop Binzer’s homily.

A blessing ceremony began prior to the Mass for the attending members of police and fire departments, and on the equipment they use in the line of duty. Following the blessing, officers, family members and community members processed into the cathedral behind a bagpiper and color guard. At the end of the church service, names of safety personnel who have died this past year were read aloud. Fellowship and refreshments on the plaza follow the service.