[Music]
Wuerl: The Blue Mass has this significance for the entire community.
It provides us an opportunity to say "thank you"
to all of those people in uniform
who are out there every day on our behalf,
on the behalf of all of us.
And secondly, to pray.
To pray for those same people,
but also to pray for all of those who died in the line of duty.
And to offer consolation to their families,
which is so important that we do that.
I think one of the things that is expressed by survivors,
by families of people who gave their lives
in the service of the community is appreciation.
I hear so often from families simply "thank you".
Thank you for not forgetting my son, my daughter.
Thank you for not forgetting my wife, my husband.
Thank you for not forgetting my dad, my mom.
I hear that all the time.
Thank you.
And that's why we do this, so that we can be in solidarity with everyone.
The families and all of those who are out there on that frontline every single day.
The Blue Mass is a time when we focus on those who gave their lives
so that the rest of us might live and walk in peace.
And we have to remember that and never forget it.
That's what makes the Blue Mass so different.
We remember all of those who did lay down their lives
and we thank everybody else who's willing to take up that same challenge
every day when they put on that uniform and step out onto the street.