Hazlet Natives To Be Honored At 33rd Annual Blue Mass

HAZLET, NJ — Two Hazlet natives will soon be honored at the Archdiocese of Newark’s 33rd Annual Blue Mass on Thursday.

Set to begin at 10 a.m. at the Cathedral Basilica of the Sacred Heart in Newark, the Mass will honor New Jersey’s law enforcement and remember 11 deceased officers.

Among those officers are Lt. Peter Bruncati of Middletown and Sgt. 1st Class William A. Casey of Farmingdale, who were both Hazlet natives and succumbed to 9/11-related cancer after responding to the World Trade Center attacks

The Mass aims to unite officers of all faiths representing federal, state, county and municipal law enforcement agencies, along with families of deceased officers, community members and public officials.

Police honor guards, bagpipers and drummers will also participate in the service.

“We look forward to the Blue Mass every year as an opportunity to show appreciation for our brothers and sisters in the law enforcement community, who put themselves in harm’s way to protect our fragile society without any expectation of recognition,” said Chief Christopher Trucillo of the NJ Transit Police Department, the honorary chairman of the Blue Mass.

“We also honor those we’ve lost, demonstrating that they will always be valued and that their sacrifice will never be forgotten.”

This year’s Mass will remember 11 law enforcement officers, including four who died of 9/11-related illnesses after responding to the World Trade Center attacks.

The liturgy will also mark the 25th anniversary of the Sept. 11, 2001, attacks.

The honorees are:

• Lt. Peter Bruncati, New Jersey State Police
• Sgt. 1^st Class William A. Casey, New Jersey State Police
• Sgt. 1^st Class Steven Tiboni, New Jersey State Police
• Sgt. Lee E. Hendrickson, New Jersey State Police
• Detective John Patrick, Springfield Police Department
• Detective Fritz Magny, Newark Police Department
• Officer Robert Banas, Customs and Border Protection
• Lt. Thomas “T.J.” Malanka, Secaucus Police Department
• Officer Matthew Kirvin, Secaucus Police Department
• Officer Johnny Mack, Jersey City Police Department
• Officer Joseph Giordano, Bayonne Police Department

To learn more about Blue Mass and the Archdiocese of Newark, you can click here.