Page 142 - Chaplain News Today

Son and sister speak to him. >> my deer brother, my heart aches so much right now. help me understand why god took you. >> dad, ill miss you. ill miss you with every fiber of my being. >> cops and civilians lined up for blocks to offer condolences to the family whose body arrived this morning in a flag draped casket under crisp salute. ramos was deeply religious and volunteered here as an usher helping people to their seats, seats filled tonight in his honor. >> officer ramos was a man who saw b...

There was a dingy old gym in the basement. having been a police officer, a lot of the terrible things that happened to me happened to me in that apartment that made me want to wear that blue uniform. and to have this hero just sitting there in a car doing his job. a guy who just wants to put cereal on the table for his kids in the morning. you know, to be carried out in a casket is really tough to watch and keep it together. >> i understand it, officer ramos also was a man of faith and was study...

Texas and maine and as far away as canada, all to mourn officer rafael ramos. he was called ralph here at the church, christ tabernacle church. he had been a member here for 14 years, an usher every sunday morning helping out with the old and the young. very beloved man here at the church. also at the precinct house, where he was studying to become a chaplain. he had his bible books inside his locker. his commanding officer said he was the first person to always volunteer for extra work. he will...

Concerns, who you knew would always be there. a former school safety officer became a cop at age 37. an active member of his church studying to become a chaplain. a father, a husband, a son, a seven year veteran on the force. a son of a chinese immigrant, his partner, conversant in several dialects. a newlywed. both confident, committed, passionate and vigilant. being a cop was not what they did. it was who they were. like every man and woman in uniform here today. it is who you are. and they, l...

You everything we can as it happens. >> all right rosa. thank you very much. a very powerful scene even with just silence. so remarkable to see such a large city that can be collectively holding its breath and praying. >> i want to bring in the reverend marcus miranda. and let me say this. were waiting for the casket so maybe well stop our conversation at that moment to take that in. but as a friend, as a person i was struck by your comments earlier. and i was also struck by the fact that office...

Class but also an honorary chaplain of his precinct 84th precinct in brooklyn. to you, tony, you have friends who are police officers. is wearing that badge today different? is it -- is it to some people making these officers a target? >> you know, not only do i have friends, i have family members who are in law enforcement for the most part particularly in the nypd and, and it is a target because there are individuals who made it that way. the whole police department are not bad. just like we d...

>> he was god because the heart he has is uncompared to other peoples heart. >> reporter: he says that god was a priority in ramos life. the 40-year-old officer in recent years grew more passionate about his church. on his facebook page, a quote reads, if your way isnt working, try gods way. the same page said officer ramos had been married since 1993 and once studied at a seminary. before his death, ramos was studying to become a chaplain. in fact, later that saturday afternoon, the day he was ...

Family. and they spoke, the governor, the mayor, the police commissioner, the vice president, they spoke lovingly of this family and what great kids they are. and this is a guy who saw, who loved public service. he was a member of this church for 14 years, became a cop at 37 years of age and had been on the force three years when he was shot and killed. this is a guy who was about to become a chaplain. on that day he would have gotten his license to be a chaplain here at this church. so this was...

Up on essex street in east new york which is a tough street in the toughest neighborhood in the city of new york at a time when it was essentially a war zone. and he was -- his nickname was potae which means you are a jar of goodness. this man was a jar of goodness. he was potae and he was -- and that goodness shone on the people around him. the goodness led him to become a school safety officer. that goodness led him into the police department and he stayed with it, and he was even going to bec...

>> reporter: 25,000 law enforcement officers from across the nation expected among the massive crowd to support a deeply shaken police department. nypd brass and political leaders also in attendance, all wear of the tensions. >> this is going to be a dark period for new york unless we can turn it around. >> reporter: police not taking any chances with security. a full show of force from the rooftops to the streets. officer ramos joined the nypd three years ago. he was on his way to becoming a ch...