FAR ROCKAWAY — To demonstrate support and appreciation for New York’s Finest, members of a newly formed group, called the NYPD Prayer Warriors, gather outside police precincts on Saturday mornings to pray, sing hymns, and say a heartfelt “thank you” to cops.
On Dec. 6, the group of civilians came to the 101st Precinct in Far Rockaway — the sixth precinct they have visited since the group was founded in November — and prayed the rosary, as well as the prayer of St. Michael the Archangel, the patron saint of police officers.
On Dec. 6, the group came to the 101st Precinct in Far Rockaway — the sixth precinct they have visited since the group was founded in November — and prayed the rosary, as well as the prayer of St. Michael the Archangel, the patron saint of police officers.
“It’s important to show our officers how much we support them,” said Mary Ruane, who founded the NYPD Prayer Warriors. “They’re out there every day protecting us, and they don’t get the support they deserve.
“They’re out there for us, so we should be out here for them.”
RELATED: NYPD Holy Name Society Honors Fallen Hero for Faith and Sacrifice
Lydia Picano, who has been at each of the prayer sessions so far, said it’s the least she can do to support the city’s police officers.
“I think it’s important to support them and pray for them,” she said.
Ruane and her fellow prayer warriors showed up at the 101st Precinct with a large banner reading “God Bless and Protect Our Police,” along with a statue of St. Michael the Archangel that Ruane placed on a small table on the sidewalk. Ruane also distributed prayer cards so that participants could follow along as the group prayed.
Several of the precinct’s men and women in blue came out of the stationhouse and prayed with the group. One of them, Sgt. Robert Luckmann, said he was grateful to the NYPD Prayer Warriors. “We really appreciate everyone coming out and supporting the 101,” he said. “The prayers are always great and always needed.”
Ruane, a parishioner of St. Helen Church in Howard Beach, said she decided to start the group because of the recent mayoral campaign. During the campaign, she said she was worried about past statements Mayor-elect Zohran Mamdani has made about police. And when he was elected, she grew even more concerned about the incoming Mamdani administration’s position on the NYPD.
RELATED: NYPD’s ‘Italian Sherlock Holmes’ Honored With Headstone Nearly a Century Later
“I’m worried about the results of this last election,” she said. “I believe the police need our support now more than ever.”
In 2020, Mamdani, then a New York State assembly member representing Queens, posted on Twitter (now X), “We don’t need an investigation to know that the NYPD is racist, anti-queer & a major threat to public safety. What we need is to #DefundTheNYPD.”
However, Mamdani has recently distanced himself from those posts, telling Politico that they are “clearly out of step” with his current position and campaign platform.
As the Mamdani administration takes shape, Ruane said she will continue to visit police precincts around the city to show support for cops. The NYPD Prayer Warriors are taking a break for the Christmas season, but plan to be active again in the new year.
“We’ll be out there,” Ruane said.