Page 43 - March 2018 FOP Newsletter

Commander Bauer
Honoring
n BY MITCHELL KRUGEL
n PHOTOS BY JAMES PINTO
Sunday Police Mass had been moved to the Chicago FOP Hall on Feb. 25 to welcome the largest flock ever for the bi-weekly service. Lodge 7 President Kev- in Graham became deacon for the day to greet nearly all of the 500 or so who filled the hall beyond standing-room only ca- pacity, into the bar area and even onto the patio.
Officers, family, friends and citizens knew this would be the time and the place to offer memorable praise and prayer for Commander Paul Bauer. Along with wife Erin and daughter Grace, Bauer never missed this Mass. At every service, he held the esteemed duty of overseeing the collection plate.
As tributes flowed, stories were told and there were sermons to behold, and a transformational moment inspired by the day’s liturgy overtook the masses. Chica- go Police Chaplain Chaplain Father Dan Brandt made an impromptu request for one of the regular parishioners to give testimony. So Erin Bauer stepped up to the lectern.
“I didn’t plan on speaking today. I just wanted to say thank you to everybody here for the support of the past week,” Erin saluted. “The outpouring today; Grace and I are filled with gratitude. Paul was definitely my better half. He made me a better person. I do feel like he was a gift to me. Paul would be honored right now.”
Accentuated by Erin’s encouraging words, this is where the healing from such a devastating blow began, spiritual- ly and even officially. At the FOP Hall, the hub for the Department’s rank and file that was at the core of how Bauer policed, mourning turned to daylight, grief turned to glorification, anguish turned to adora- tion and weeping turned to worshiping.
The service made reference to Paul’s Gospel, and it seemed more than fitting that Paul the Apostle and Paul the Police Officer shared the mission “to bring about the obedience of faith.” Faith abounded
Chicago Police Chaplain Father Dan Brandt begins the Police Mass that honored Commander Paul Bau- er on Feb. 25 at the Chicago FOP Hall.
In his service
Members pack FOP Hall for Police Mass to honor Commander Bauer and give faith to all officers
almost as if the urging to keep the faith was the general order that Bauer wanted to leave for the flock.
“Of course, we have to let go,” Father Dan preached. “We will always miss our friend, our dad, our husband, our son, our brother. But we do have to recognize that they are gifts. Hopefully, we can again practice the rich faith that he embodied and that changed his life and tempered every action he made. I hope you can fol- low that example and be transfigured.”
The irreverent reverend that he often is to truly inspire the flock, Father Dan be- gan the service with one of his electrifying comedic tales. That set the tone for the homilies, both from the podium and in the post-Mass analysis, to fill the morn- ing with revelry as well as ritual.
The ritual came from Grace Bauer. Wearing a shirt bearing her father’s im- age, amazing Grace offered a reading, just like she usually does at these police Masses. That came after the CPD Pipes
CONTINUED ON PAGE 44
Erin Bauer spoke at the Mass to thank officers for their support and for honoring her husband.
CHICAGO LODGE 7 ■ MARCH 2018 43