On Sacred Ground

On the way back from the Farmers Market, my friend and I stopped in Bloomfield. We parked the car across from the Catholic Church and then walked over to it. I finally got my wish; I could now stop and pay my respects to the police memorial, in front of the church. The memorial was dedicated to the three police officers, killed on April 2, 2009. The officers, Eric Kelly, Stephen Mayhle, and Paul Sciullo, were gunned down as they responded to a call.

 

I remember when I heard the news on that day…I was sad and horrified by the news. The officers were from Zone 5. FYI…when the call for police help came in, no one asked the race of the person, who made that call. The officers did their job, responded, and lost their lives.

For a very long time, Pittsburgh mourned the death of the three. Today, their families still mourn their loved ones death. A memorial was erected outside the church. Money was donated toward the statue of St. Michael, patron saint of police.

Finally, 7 years later, I found myself standing in front of the Memorial. I still felt the sadness, as I said a prayer for the three police officers. I stood in front of a beautiful statue of St. Michael, situated on a three tier pedestal. In front of the first tier, is a photo of each of the police officers. Next to the pedestal is a large silver police shield. The summer flowers were blooming, and the area was quiet and sacred, despite the noise of the cars driving past.

 

After my friend and I said our own private prayer and made the sign of the cross, we walked back to the car. Part of my prayer was a thank you to those three officers and a special prayer for my son, who is a police officer in Zone 5.

To all those who wear the police uniform…stay safe!