By Currents News
Members of the New York City Police Department’s Holy Name society met at St. Vincent Ferrer Church on the Upper East Side of Manhattan on the evening of Jan. 15 to discuss the details of their pilgrimage to Rome this February for the Holy Year of faith and fellowship.
Part of the agenda for the 44 members of the NYPD – along with some family and three priests from the Diocese of Brooklyn and the Archdiocese of New York – will be meeting with the Swiss Guard and attending Mass at the Vatican.
Many who are preparing for the trip are excited to celebrate their faith while in the Eternal City.
“People have an opportunity to go through the Holy Doors, not only can they pray for themselves, but they can also pray for two people who have passed per day per door so it can be members of family and what not, so really it’s a tremendous opportunity,” Monsignor Robert Romano, Assistant Chief Chaplain of the NYPD, tells Currents News. “I think that’s the exciting part is you know when you get cops to exercise their faith, it’s always a great thing. As a chaplain, that’s what we try to do. And, it pays off. “
“I’ll be praying for my members, my immediate family, but also my family and friends that have passed in recent years,” explains Lt. Steven Jerome, Commanding Officer of the NYPD Chaplains Unit. “I’ll use that opportunity to pray for them. Life you know, you realize as you get older, is so short and we got to really appreciate the time that we have here. And something like this gives us an opportunity to think and reflect.”
“I’m sure that there’ll be plenty of blessings that I’ll receive for being there during the Jubilee,” says Maria Dziergowski, an NYPD widow who will also be taking the trip to Rome. “It’s very inspiring to be with so many heroes, with the NYPD.”
The group will be going to Rome from Feb. 6 to 11, which coincides with the Jubilee of the Armed Forces, Police and Security Personnel.