Catholic and a Police Officer

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Timonator348

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I am a Catholic and a Police Officer who often has a hard time as very few of my coworkers are not either Protestant or complete non believers. I have read a few books about being a Christian Police Officer but none are by or for Catholics. I can not find a single Catholic Police Officer’s Bible, Police Officer’s Association, or anything else specifically for Catholics online or elsewhere and it is getting very frustrating and I feel very alone. Can anyone suggest any resources I have not yet found? Thank you!
 
Timonator348 said:
I am a Catholic and a Police Officer who often has a hard time as very few of my coworkers are not either Protestant or complete non believers. I have read a few books about being a Christian Police Officer but none are by or for Catholics. I can not find a single Catholic Police Officer’s Bible, Police Officer’s Association, or anything else specifically for Catholics online or elsewhere and it is getting very frustrating and I feel very alone. Can anyone suggest any resources I have not yet found? Thank you!
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First of all, I think the job you chose is a courageous and selfless profession. I have the utmost respect for police officers, who are often given a hard time by the public and the media.

I have never heard of a Christian police officers Bible at least not in the Catholic Church. I would suggest the contacting the following organisations and asking them if there is a local chapter where you live.

I don’t know where you live, the organisations below are for United Kingdom and New York Catholic Police Officers.

catholicpoliceguild.org.uk/main/

nypdholyname.com/index2.html
 
Love your quote from Sirach.

Can you give a general location?
I found several through a google search

nypdholyname.com/index2.html
en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Catholic_Police_Guild

catholicpolice.org/ (this was not working for me but it is referenced in archindy.org/criterion/local/2010/04-09/police.html

Also stumbled on this:
catholicsupply.com/existing/prpolice.htm
(It’s a prayer for police officers - 🤷)

Sorry you’re having a hard time.
I can relate - there are almost no Catholics in this part of the world.
 
loko said:
First of all, I think the job you chose is a courageous and selfless profession. I have the utmost respect for police officers, who are often given a hard time by the public and the media.
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I have no recommendations, but I wanted to say i agree wholeheartedly with this statement.
 
Timonator348 said:
I am a Catholic and a Police Officer who often has a hard time as very few of my coworkers are not either Protestant or complete non believers. I have read a few books about being a Christian Police Officer but none are by or for Catholics. I can not find a single Catholic Police Officer’s Bible, Police Officer’s Association, or anything else specifically for Catholics online or elsewhere and it is getting very frustrating and I feel very alone. Can anyone suggest any resources I have not yet found? Thank you!
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What area do you live in? In the U.S., most dioceses celebrate a “Blue Mass” to honor Catholic (and other) LEOs during National Police Week (since 1962 when JFK recognized it, it is the week in which May 15 falls), and the pews are generally packed full of Catholic officers. Might be a good way to get to know some of your fellow Catholic officers. Most large departments have a group of Catholic officers, and if your department has a chaplain (Catholic or not), he may be able to direct you to such a group.

It may vary from agency to agency and by region, but in areas where traditionally Catholic minorities found employment in law enforcement (such as those of Irish, Italian, Mexican, and Filipino descent), it seems like the majority of officers, deputies, and federal agents I know are Catholic.

Here’s a good blog by a Catholic police officer: www.romancatholiccop.com
 
Thanks for all the (name removed by moderator)ut and support. Sorry for not mentioning from the get go but I am in Arizona. No Catholic Police organizations here as far as I’ve been able to find and the Church in this area often caters to the Hispanic population (which is great but I’m not part of). I really like to read and was hoping for at least one book by a Catholic Officer. I am becoming a Chaplain and I’m beginning to think I may be supposed to write a book and/or start a group myself…
 
Thanks again to everyone for the heartfelt support. Although I often feel alone as a Catholic and a Police Officer it is encouraging for me to be reminded that not everyone is anti-cop.
 
I’m also a police officer (in Oregon). I do have several co-workers that are Catholic, but I think only a couple of them actually go to Mass regularly. We have several chaplins, one of whom is the priest at my parents’ parish. One of the protestant chaplins is also a certified deputy and often works the road with the patrol guys. I have some other co-workers who are very strong Christians (protestant) and great to work with. For the most part, the other Christians are protestant.

Anyway, I don’t know of specific resources for you, but I can give you some advice that has helped me out. If you don’t really have other Catholics, but you do have other Christians, I would try to reach out to them as much as possible. For the most part, they can offer much of the same type of support due to their faith in Christ. Our patrol guys will always send messages out through the night with radio stations when a good song comes on. Me and one of my protestant co-workers will message each other when a good song comes on the Christian station.

Feel free to PM me anytime if you want to discuss anything.
 
Timonator348 said:
Thanks again to everyone for the heartfelt support. Although I often feel alone as a Catholic and a Police Officer it is encouraging for me to be reminded that not everyone is anti-cop.
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It might be helpful to remember that entire Police departments especially back east were very Catholic historically. Boston, New york, Irish Catholic police officers, TONS of them.
Every heard of a Paddy Wagon?
 
Moore11 said:
It might be helpful to remember that entire Police departments especially back east were very Catholic historically. Boston, New york, Irish Catholic police officers, TONS of them.
Every heard of a Paddy Wagon?
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Paddy Wagon, yes indeed. Got it’s name because not only were many of the officers Irish, but so were most of the people riding in the back. 😃
 
I really feel for you. My fiancé is a catholic police officer in Australia and he is always telling me how difficult it is at work with the guys that aren’t catholic - the lack of faith, their attitude towards people, and feeling alone because he sometimes has to completely ignore some conversations because of the content being spoken about.

He often asks me to look for books that are catholic for Police, but there really aren’t any. Maybe it is a sign that you have to do it yourself because it is obviously needed! It needs to come from one of you brace guys so you can help the catholic police community around the world. Lets hope someone takes up this challenge 😃

You’ll be in my prayers. Stay strong and pray to Saint Michael. Try say the chaplet to saint Michael before work and pray the rosary.

God bless you brother in Christ!
Cheers from Australia!
 
Not sure this thread is still alive and vibrant but I thought I’d give it a go…

I am also a Law Enforcement Officer and felt some similar sentiments. I would encourage you to try the following:

Reach out to department chaplaincy if available. A priest assigned to your department will likely offer the opportunity to connect you with other Catholic Officers and will often meet with you as a sort of “spiritual counsellor” for you as you navigate a tough career.

I have tried to start a Catholic Officer’s group at my agency, which has almost 2000 officers. Even with that broad base, it was exceedingly difficult to do. And it hasnt caught root. I am going to revive my attempts since this thread brought it to mind.

Your Catholic faith is the best tool you can have for a healthy perspective of human tragedy and suffering. It can morph the bad calls (Especially those involving infants etc) into participatory acts of charity and make a huge difference in the way it weighs on you. I am working on 16 years of work and let me tell you, it is HUGE!

Let me know if I can help in any way via PM etc…

Cheers and God Bless!

Ed
 
have you heard of any of the old stories pertaining to immigrant cops in particular Irish Catholic coppers?

God bless
 
I wish someone could write a theology or spirituality book about being a police officer for Catholics. I know there are some protestant bibles out there for POs.
 
I don’t know when this was written or by whom, but it has a very old-school flair to it:

THE POLICE OFFICER’S PRAYER
TO ST. MICHAEL

Police Officer’s Prayer to St. Michael

Saint Michael, heaven’s glorious commissioner of police,
who once so neatly and successfully cleared God’s premises
of all its undesirables, look with kindly and professional
eyes on your earthly force.

Give us cool heads, stout hearts, and uncanny flair for
investigation and wise judgement.

Make us the terror of burglars, the friend of children and
law-abiding citizens, kind to strangers, polite to bores,
strict with law-breakers and impervious to temptations.

You know, Saint Michael, from your own experiences
with the devil that the police officer’s lot on earth is not
always a happy one; but your sense of duty that so
pleased God, your hard knocks that so surprised the
devil, and your angelic self-control give us inspiration.

And when we lay down our night sticks, enroll us in your
heavenly force, where we will be as proud to guard the
throne of God as we have been to guard the city of all
the people. Amen.
 
I’m interested in how this is going. I’m a police officer in Oregon and wanted to get a Catholic officers group together. Maybe a blue mass?
 
I would recommend getting over yourself and your occupation, and just concentrate on being a Catholic with no adjectives.
 
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