Firefighters honored
Bishop instructs them to ‘put on Christ’
By Kathleen Ogle
Managing Editor
METUCHEN — Each year, firefighters throughout the diocese gather at a special Mass to remember and honor their fallen comrades. It is also a time to recall why they chose such a dangerous profession in the first place.
Referring to firefighting as a vocation, Bishop Paul G. Bootkoski reminded those gathered April 29 at St. Francis of Assisi Cathedral for the annual Firefighters’ Mass that they were following in the footsteps of Jesus Christ who gave his life for us.
“You give your lives for others. That’s the example of Jesus Christ, that’s the example of Jesus of Nazareth,” Bishop Bootkoski said in his homily. “Whether volunteer or paid fire department, it matters little, because all of you risk your lives for others. What a magnificent example you are for our society.”
Earlier in the evening, the firefighters were led into the cathedral by Drum Major Don Gilmartin from the Newark Firefighters Pipes and Drums and the United Pipes and Drums Band of New Jersey. They were followed into the cathedral by a color guard representing fire departments from Edison, South Amboy, Metuchen, New Brunswick and Perth Amboy.
In addition to the approximately 80 uniformed men and women who sat in the reserved pews in the front of the cathedral, others firefighters quietly and anonymously filled the rest of the cathedral on their own or with their families.
Bishop Bootkoski was the principal celebrant of the Mass, which was concelebrated by Msgr. Richard A. Behl, rector of the cathedral; Msgr. William Benwell, vicar general of the diocese; Msgr. Raymond Cole, pastor of St. Joseph Parish, East Millstone; and Father Kenneth R. Kolibas, parochial vicar, St. Bernadette Parish. They were assisted by Deacon Frank Cammarano and Deacon Guido Brossoni.
Special message
Acknowledging that all Christians have a call through their baptismal commitment to put on Christ each day, Bishop Bootkoski told the firefighters assembled in the cathedral, “You are most like Christ when you are fighting a fire and rescuing your brothers and sisters in the Lord.
“That is why we honor you. We cherish the friendship, the memories of those who have gone before you.
That is why it is so important that we recognize what you do. Because in our society Christ is present, and he is most present by what you do and how you do it.”
The bishop then asked the firefighters to introduce a “simple” new custom into their lives “each and every day that you are in service to the community as a firefighter, whether you are putting on your cap in a formal way as you do this evening to celebrate this Mass for your brothers and sisters who have gone before you, or whether you are putting on your helmet to protect your head in a fire.
“As you are putting it on, just pause a second or two and say, ‘Lord Jesus, help me to live my life like you did. Help me to give myself to others as you did on the cross.’”
He concluded his homily by thanking and blessing the firefighters. “May others walk with you in this noble profession. May your ranks swell, and May God bless you and protect you all of the days of your life,” he prayed.
No greater love
As firefighters brought the gifts to the altar, worshipers sang “There is no greater love, says the Lord, than to lay down your life for a friend,” a hymn by Michael Joncas.
During the most poignant moment of the Mass, a firefighter rang a bell in memory of his fallen breathren: Paul Carr, Atlantic City Fire Department; Angelo Petta, Garfield Fire Department; William Pierce, Ogdensburg Fire Department; and Joseph Walsh, Keansburgh Fire Department. Two firefighters in the Diocese of Metuchen were remembered: Kevin Apuzzio of the East Franklin Fire Department and James Michael Ratcliffe of the Metuchen Fire Department.
Bugler Chris Kasperski of the Edison Fire Department played Taps, and then Bishop Bootkoski presented a statue of St. Florian, patron of firefighters to Ratcliffe’s son, Michael Ratcliffe of the Lawrence Township Fire Department. His father suffered a deadly stroke while driving a fire truck to a firefighter friend’s funeral.
The program booklet for the Mass noted that it is the fire service’s tradition to honor its fallen members in the year following their loss. Firefighter Apuzzio, who lost his life in April while attempting to rescue an elderly woman from a burning house, will be honored at next year’s Mass.
Erin Bradley, 18, has attended all four annual Firefighters’ Masses. She was a junior firefighter for three years and recently became a regular member of the South River Fire Department. She is also studying fire science engineering at Jersey City University. She agreed with the bishop that firefighting is a vocation. “It’s a calling, something inside that you feel you have to do it,” she said. “I love it. It’s the greatest job in the world.”
Bradley’s father, Bill, the deputy chief of the New Brunswick Fire Department, said he felt called to firefighting as well. “After 32 years, I still love going to work,” he said.
This year’s Firefighters’ Mass was a first for Father Kolibas, fire chaplain for the Madison Park Fire Department in the Parlin, section of Old Bridge. “It was a powerful experience, especially with the bagpipes and the ringing of the bell for the deceased members. It’s an honor and privilege to see all the companies come together and to share the Eucharist,” he said.
As fire chaplain, Father Kolibas attends the fire department’s meetings and responds to calls. He is also available to firefighters who may need counseling after a fire. In the event of a death, he would preside at a wake service for the family.
Two of Father Kolibas’ uncles were former fire chiefs for the volunteer fire department in Carteret. “In a sense I’m continuing something in my family, too.”
*The attached/referenced article was originally published in The Catholic Spirit, the official newspaper of the Diocese of Metuchen, and is protected under U.S. and international copyright law