Blue Mass RSVP
September 10, 2023 at 8:30am
Cathedral of the Immaculate Conception
In honor of all First Responders
Please Join Us
The Catholic Diocese of Wichita thanks and invites you and your family to participate in the Blue Mass to be celebrated by Bishop Carl A. Kemme at the Cathedral of the Immaculate Conception (430 N. Broadway, Wichita).
Breakfast will follow in Good Shepherd Hall. Site security will be provided for participants and their families.
History of Blue Mass
The Blue Mass dates back to 1934, when a Catholic priest from the Archdiocese of Baltimore, Maryland, organized the Catholic Police and Firemen’s Society while stationed at St. Patrick Church in Washington, D.C.
More than 1,000 police and firemen, dressed in their blue uniforms, attended that first Blue Mass, which was celebrated on September 29, 1934. The tradition of showing gratitude to emergency responders and their families in this way has continued throughout the United States.
The Mass honors those currently serving as emergency responders as well as those who have died in the line of duty and brings a greater awareness of those who serve us so faithfully, often placing others’ lives and safety above their own. Our lives are a gift from God, given to us that we might in turn give our lives in service to Him and to others. Those who have dedicated their lives in service as emergency responders are living out this truth, and we gather together today to celebrate them.