Bishop Michael F. Burbidge celebrated the 10th annual diocesan Mass for Military and First Responders at St. Leo the Great Church in Fairfax Sept. 14.
“We honor and pray for all in the military services and first responders who, each and every day, courageously serve our nation and communities, selflessly respond to those in need, and tirelessly work to maintain safety and peace in the places we dwell,” Bishop Burbidge said in his homily. “We give thanks to God for your heroic service, for the support you receive from your spouse and family, and ask the Lord to protect and watch over all of you.”
The church is approximately one mile from the large Fairfax County Judicial Center complex frequented by many police officers in the line of duty. According to U.S. Census Bureau data cited on the county’s website, Fairfax County is home to approximately 13,000 active military personnel and an estimated 65,000 military veterans. This year the Mass coincided with the feast of the Exaltation of the Cross, which Bishop Burbidge noted, encouraging members of the congregation to embrace the crosses the Lord has placed in their lives.
“Whatever the cross the Lord sends to you, don’t run from it,” he said. “Don’t be confused. It is our victory, our pathway to holiness, our staircase to heaven. No wonder we say: ‘We adore you, O Christ, and we praise you because by your holy cross you have redeemed the world.’ ”
Two days earlier, Our Lady of Hope School in Potomac Falls hosted Loudoun County Sheriff Mike Chapman and his deputies for a special Blue Mass Sept. 12, offered in gratitude for first responders. Also in attendance was parishioner Larry Zawalick, who attended Catholic school with Chapman in Maryland for eight years.
