Campaign Launched to Give St. Michael Medals to Every Police Officer in Maryland

From The Catholic Review in Baltimore:

Maybe it’s the fact that he’s their patron saint. Maybe they admire his steely reserve, or desire to live under his immortal protection. Maybe it’s just the image of a winged warrior with a spear held to Satan’s head.

Whatever the reason, police officers, Catholic or not, have a special affinity for St. Michael the Archangel, according to Anita Schatz, a parishioner of St. Stephen in Bradshaw.

“They believe in God and they believe in angels,” she said, adding that, now, more than ever, police officers appreciate all the support they can get, practical or spiritual.

“They’re scared and they want protection,” Schatz said.

More than happy to oblige, she is in the midst of an effort to give a St. Michael medal to every police officer in Maryland. So far, she has covered the state police, Baltimore City, Baltimore County and Harford County.

The silver-plated medals cost her about 18 cents each; Schatz said they are high-quality and supplied by a family business.

She has single-handedly raised enough money for about 8,500 medals during the past three months, but “my funds are running dry,” she said.

A single parish, Schatz said, could join the effort and provide medals to an entire precinct for a reasonable donation. She estimated that less than $1,000 would cover the rest of Maryland, but she doesn’t necessarily want to stop there.

“If this takes off, I’d like to go national,” she said.

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