St. 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, hard punches, and uncanny flair for
investigation and wise judgment.
Make us the terror of burglars, the friends of children and
law-abiding citizens, kind to strangers, polite to bores,
strict with law-breakers and impervious to temptations.
In troubles and riots give us sheer muscle without temper; at the police count, give us love for truth and evidence without any thought of self.
You know, St. Michael, from your own experiences
with the devil that the policeman’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. Make us as loyal to the law of God as we are particular about the law of the land.
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.– Rev. Patrick J. Gallagher, S.J. of Washington
