PORTLAND, Maine — More than a hundred people gathered for Sunday mass at the Roman Catholic Diocese of Portland for the annual service dedicated to first responders.
Since Sept. 11, 2001, the mass was dedicated to EMS, fire crews, and law enforcement officials.
The 22nd annual dedication comes at a time when first responders are one of the many sectors hit by staffing shortages.
"I think the bishop said it well, that after 9/11 people came together and after COVID we are seeing the complete opposite," Cumberland County Sheriff Kevin Joyce said.
Joyce told NEWS CENTER Maine earlier this month his jail is so understaffed that inmates have had visiting hours reduced, and some corrections officers are working double shifts to cover supervision.
And on the Sunday mass dedicated to first responders, also known as Blue Mass, Maine's political heavy hitters were among those in the church pews.
Former Gov. Paul LePage, current Gov. Janet Mills, former U.S. Rep. Bruce Poliquin, and current U.S. Sen. Susan Collins attended.
Joyce said seeing Mills sit with her political rival showed him and his deputies that they care about Maine's first responders.
"It's always great to have that support. ... Sometimes our staff does not feel supported," Joyce said.
For Bishop Robert Deeley, seeing Mills and LePage exchange a handshake was not surprising.
"I think that we may have different political opinions but that doesn't mean we dislike the other person, we separate what we believe, what our political opinions are from the person," Deeley said.
While some political candidates present at Blue Mass did not make themselves available for comment, there are a number of debates scheduled for the next few weeks.
NEWS CENTER Maine will host all three candidates running for the second congressional district seat on Sept. 27.
The first debate between Mills and LePage is slated for Oct. 4.