St. Joseph’s Regional Catholic School honors Police, Fire, & EMS

Breakfast, badges, and blessings were abundant at St. Joseph’s Regional Catholic School on Friday, May 4 as local public servant professionals joined the students and administration at the school’s Second Annual “Breakfast with Badges” event. St. Joseph’s serves students in Beltsville, Greenbelt, and Laurel and is the feeder school for St. Nicholas Catholic Church in Laurel.

Breakfast with Badges was started last year by Marianne Schwenz, the outgoing president of the school’s Home and School Association and proud mother of two St. Joseph’s graduates. Marianne’s brother-in-law, Dfc. Jason C. Schwenz, was killed in the line of duty while responding to a loud noise complaint in Queen Anne’s County in 2001. Her goal is to host an event to honor the brave men and women that serve our school’s community (Laurel, Beltsville, and Greenbelt) while providing an opportunity for the students to interact with local first responders in a positive setting.

Monsignor Karl Chimiak, pastor of St. Joseph’s Catholic Church and Catholic Chaplain to the Prince George’s County Police Department, began the event in the parking lot with a special prayer and a “Blessing of the Fleet” (patrol cars, motorcycles and fire trucks). This special blessing is performed every year during Police Week. Next, Monsignor Karl lead the entire school in prayer to keep all of our first responders safe. Student safety patrols then escorted the more than 30 officers into the school for breakfast and presentations by school students, officials, and guest speaker Lieutenant Colonel Mark J. (Rocky) Roccapriore, the Assistant Sheriff for Prince George’s County. Other special guests included several Maryland State Troopers from Barracks Q in College Park, and Laurel’s Chief of Police, Richard McLaughlin, who is a graduate of St. Joseph’s school. McGruff the Crime Dog even made an appearance!

St. Joseph’s principal, Dr. Janine Bertolotti, expressed the school’s gratitude to their guests with these words, “Like other first responders across the country, these men, women, and their families share a commitment to something larger than themselves. Their display of heroism is echoed in 2 Timothy 1:7 which states, ‘For God gave us a spirit not of fear but of power and love and self-control.’ These fine ladies and gentlemen here today are exemplary displays of this fortitude and love.”

Eighth-grade students served a continental breakfast to the first responders and school students, while students and officers sat together and talked about careers in law enforcement, summer vacation, and everything in between. Each guest left with handmade cards from the students, certificates of appreciation and goodie bags full of treats.

Second grade student, Sarah T., said she was impressed to see so many female officers in attendance, while fifth graders Jayson F. and Timi A. could not wait for breakfast to end so they could get inside a real fire truck!

After breakfast, students had an opportunity to explore the police vehicles and motorcycles and turn on the sirens! Fire officials also assisted the students in putting on their protective clothing and helmets and turning on the fire engine lights.

Students and faculty look forward to hosting the event next year and waved goodbye as the guests left in their vehicles to return to work.