{"id":17809,"date":"2017-01-17T07:18:00","date_gmt":"2017-01-17T07:18:00","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/www.catholicnewsagency.com\/news\/new-york-police-officer-remembered-for-his-example-of-mercy-50437\/"},"modified":"2017-01-17T07:18:00","modified_gmt":"2017-01-17T07:18:00","slug":"new-york-police-officer-remembered-for-his-example-of-mercy","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.patheos.com\/blogs\/catholicnews\/2017\/01\/new-york-police-officer-remembered-for-his-example-of-mercy\/","title":{"rendered":"New York police officer remembered for his example of mercy"},"content":{"rendered":"\n<\/head>

<\/p>\n

New York City, N.Y., Jan 17, 2017 \/ 12:18 am (CNA\/EWTN News<\/a>).- Thousands gathered at St. Patrick\u2019s Cathedral in New York City on Friday to commemorate and mourn the loss of Officer Steven McDonald, one of the city\u2019s most influential police officers who died last week from a heart attack at the age of 59.<\/p>\n

\u201cDetective Steven McDonald was an icon of mercy and forgiveness, a prophet of the dignity of all human life, a radiant symbol of the best of what the New York Police Department represents, a loving husband and father, and a fervent and faithful Catholic,\u201d stated Cardinal Timothy Dolan of New York, according to the New York Daily News.<\/p>\n

Officer McDonald is a household name for some in the New York area, where over 30 years ago, he became known as a herald of peace and mercy in a city stricken by violence and drugs.<\/p>\n

On July 12, 1986, Officer McDonald was a newly minted NYPD officer with a bright future, having served only two years on the force, when he was shot three times by a teenager in Central Park, leaving him paralyzed from the neck down.<\/p>\n

The incident turned Officer McDonald into a quadriplegic, and he would use a wheelchair and respirator tube for the rest of his life. At the time, his newly-wed wife Patti Ann was pregnant with their first child.<\/p>\n

\u201cSteven would never again walk or breathe on his own, would never again embrace his wife, or hold his soon-to-be-born child. It would have been enough to turn anyone bitter, resentful, angry at God and the world,\u201d Cardinal Dolan noted.<\/p>\n

However, Officer McDonald wrote a public note of forgiveness to Shavod Jones, the young man who shot him, saying that he hoped his attacker would \u201cfind peace and purpose in his life.\u201d He even went as far as testifying in Jones\u2019 favor at his parole hearing.<\/p>\n

\u201cWe all know how amazing that statement was, how important it was for the streets of this city,\u201d stated Msgr. Seamus O\u2019Boyle, a family cousin, at Officer McDonald\u2019s funeral, according to the New York Times.<\/p>\n

In fact, the incident with Officer McDonald ushered in a new era that cleaned up the streets of New York. According to the New York Times, murder rates have drastically declined over the years, from 1,582 murders in 1986 to 335 in 2016.<\/p>\n

Although Officer McDonald would never return to active service, he continued to serve publicly with the police department as a first-grade detective \u2013 proving even more valuable to the force because of his voice of mercy and forgiveness.<\/p>\n

\u201cHe became a strong advocate for peace, and spoke movingly and often on the need to show mercy to others,\u201d Cardinal Dolan said, noting that he had even made plans with Officer McDonald to lead a pilgrimage to the Shrine of Our Lady of Lourdes in France.<\/p>\n

Officer McDonald\u2019s legacy of mercy will live past his death, particularly through his own son, Conor, who is now a New York police sergeant. In fact, public service ran in the McDonald family a few generations, with Steven\u2019s father and grandfather both serving on the police force.<\/p>\n

\u201cSteven \u2013 and now his son, Conor \u2013 represented the most noble aspects of what being a police officer is all about: a heart and soul, an agent of peace and reconciliation,\u201d Cardinal Dolan said.<\/p>\n

The funeral on Friday was a testament to McDonald\u2019s life, with thousands of family, friends and fellow officers in blue filling the Cathedral to salute his legacy.<\/p>\n

New York Mayor Bill de Blasio was also in attendance, recalling how McDonald always believed that \u201cwe could heal the wounds of the past,\u201d and noting that \u201cmillions were moved by his example.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cHe was a living example of the things we aspire to be.\u201d<\/p>\n

\n<\/a>\n<\/div>\n

\"\"<\/p>\n<\/body><\/html>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

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