The pews at Our Lady of Lourdes in Venice filled Sunday for a Blue Mass, a service dedicated to first responders and the ones who never made it home. Sarasota and Charlotte county crews were honored, and the timing was no accident. The service fell on the weekend that marks 25 years since the September 11 attacks, when the whole country learned in one morning what it costs to run toward danger.
The heart of the Mass was simple. Five names were read aloud: paramedic Caitlyn Roskovich, firefighter Justin Markey, paramedic Victor Cleveland, Deputy Shawn Michael Martin and firefighter Jay Sanders. After each name, a bell rang. Organizers with the Knights of Columbus and first responders in attendance described their work as a family, the kind that shows up for each other because they’ve seen the same hard days. The takeaway they offered was about as good as advice gets: do your best.
There are plenty of places on the Suncoast to reflect on 9/11 and the people who serve, from the memorial events along the coast to a quiet morning in a Venice church. However you mark it, the point is the same as it was 25 years ago. Somebody answers when the call comes in, and they deserve our thanks the other 364 days too.
Do you have a first responder in your family or neighborhood? Tell us about them in the comments so we can say their name too.
