Students Travel to Precincts of Fallen Officers for Visit of Gratitude; Pray for All Officers at Blue Mass (Photos Below)

PHILADELPHIA (October 20, 2008) – Four local Catholic high schools will demonstrate the spirit of the Thanksgiving holiday with a surprise visit of gratitude to Philadelphia policemen and policewomen in precincts that lost colleagues in the line of duty in 2007 and 2008. The day of gratitude will occur the day before the Thanksgiving holiday – Wednesday, November 26.

Students from Archbishop Ryan High School, the alma mater of fallen Sergeant Patrick McDonald, will visit and thank McDonald’s fellow officers in his home precinct, the 25th District, and deliver of basket of baked goods. Archbishop Ryan students will also deliver a Thanksgiving basket of baked goods to officers in the 24th precinct, who lost two colleagues in 2008 – Sergeants Stephen Liczbinski and Timothy Simpson.

Students from Cardinal Dougherty High School will visit the 35th District, the home precinct of their fallen alumnus, Officer Chuck Cassidy. Students from West Philadelphia Catholic High School will visit and thank officers in the 16th District, the precinct that fallen Officer Isabel Nazario called home.

Students at Roman Catholic High School for Boys will begin the day of gratitude for the Philadelphia Police Department by celebrating a Thanksgiving Blue Mass at the Cathedral Basilica of Saints Peter and Paul to honor fallen officers and give thanks for the bravery and fortitude of the Philadelphia Police Department.

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ABOUT THE ARCHDIOCESE OF PHILADELPHIA

The Archdiocese of Philadelphia, celebrating its Bicentennial in 2008, has 270 parishes serving almost 1.5 million Catholics. Currently there are 182 parish and regional elementary schools, 20 high schools and five schools of special education in the Archdiocese, located throughout Bucks, Chester, Delaware, Montgomery and Philadelphia counties.

Contact

Meredith Wilson
Communications Specialist
215-587-3747