LATROBE, PA – Dr. Bruce Antkowiak, C’74, JD, a professor of law and director of the pre-law program within the Alex G. McKenna School of Business, Economics and Government at Saint Vincent College, will be the speaker at the annual Blue Mass at 9:30 a.m. Sunday, Nov. 23, in the Saint Vincent Archabbey Basilica.
The Blue Mass honors police officers, firefighters and emergency medical service personnel, including those who have died in the line of duty. Local first responders are invited to attend the Mass in uniform.
“The Blue Mass is a time to thank God for instilling in a group of people the fire of selflessness, the dedication to the service of their community and the courage to set out each day awaiting a perilous call to duty,” said Antkowiak, who is credited with bringing the concept of a Blue Mass to life at the College in the mid-2010s in cooperation with the Saint Vincent Archabbey.
After graduating first in his class from Saint Vincent, Antkowiak graduated with high honors from Harvard Law School in 1977.
Over his more than four decades as a practicing lawyer, he served as a federal prosecutor and criminal defense attorney in state and federal courts and as a private practitioner, concentrating his practice in criminal defense.
Before coming to Saint Vincent, Antkowiak was a full-time faculty member for nine years at Duquesne Law School and in October 2007 was named the Association of American Law Schools Teacher of the Year at Duquesne. In May 2011, Saint Vincent awarded Antkowiak an Honorary Doctor of Laws degree.
Antkowiak has tried a multitude of cases and has argued before the United States Court of Appeals for the Third Circuit and the Pennsylvania Supreme and Superior Courts. He recently authored an Amicus Brief to the United States Supreme Court upon the request of the National Association of Criminal Defense Attorneys.
The longtime criminal justice system veteran also teaches in the College’s Master of Science in criminology program and has helped launch a new Legal Practice Certificate program. Antkowiak also maintains a limited private practice in post-conviction matters and appeals.
“We value the men and women who have answered the call to serve as first responders,” said Dr. Eric Kocian, an associate professor of criminology and chair of the Department of Criminology, Law and Society in the McKenna School. Kocian, along with “so many dedicated people,” helped organize this year’s Blue Mass. “We appreciate the sacrifices made by these brave heroes and their families. The Blue Mass is a time to honor and bless all those in uniform and in the field. It is also a time to remember those who made the ultimate sacrifice.”
The Department of Criminology, Law and Society has seen a wide range of alumni secure positions with federal, state and local agencies all throughout the country, Kocian noted.
“From special agent positions with the Secret Service to border agents to Pennsylvania State Police troopers to officers all over the nation,” Kocian said, “we pray for God to bless, protect and guide all those for what they do and for who they are.”
“We are living through a period where attacks on law enforcement and first responders are on the rise, with fewer people showing respect, gratitude and common decency toward those in the field,” Kocian added. “This is an incredible opportunity for us to say, ‘thank you and God bless you.’”
