Police From Across NJ Attend 'Blue Mass' In Newark, Honor Fallen

NEWARK, NJ — Law enforcement officers from across the state gathered for an emotional tribute to their fallen peers at the Archdiocese of Newark’s 27th annual Blue Mass on Thursday.

The 2019 service was held at the Cathedral Basilica of the Sacred Heart in Newark. It’s held each year to honor the dedication and sacrifices made by all active, retired and deceased law enforcement personnel from Bergen, Essex, Hudson and Union counties.

This year’s service honored the following officers (in order of their “end of watch” dates):

• Police Officer April Bird, Asbury Police Department (August 5, 2019)
• Trooper Robert Nagle, New Jersey State Police (November 26, 2018)
• Police Officer Sean Brown, N.J. Department of Corrections (July 20, 2019)
• Police Officer Omar Martin, Sr., N.J. Department of Corrections (August 24, 2019)

A special tribute was also made during the 18th Anniversary of September 11th to honor the following Port Authority Police Department officers, who recently passed away as a result of their 9/11 rescue efforts:

• Lt. John J. Brant (July 19, 2018)
• Police Officer William J. Leahy (June 6, 2019)
• Lt. Robert Jones (June 15, 2019)

Thursday’s ceremony included honor guard units, bagpipers and drummers, as well as appearances from several elected officials, including Gov. Phil Murphy.

Cardinal Joseph Tobin, archbishop of Newark, served as the principal celebrant and homilist. Hoboken Police Chief Kenneth Ferrante served as honorary chairman.

Send local news tips and correction requests to eric.kiefer@patch.com

Don’t forget to visit the Patch Newark Facebook page. Learn more about posting announcements or events to your local Patch site. Sign up for Patch email newsletters.