LEWISTON — The American flag, held high above Bartlett Avenue by the seeming outstretched arms of ladder trucks from Lewiston and Auburn, waved gently in the breeze beneath an overcast fall sky while a chorus of bagpipes filled the neighborhood around the Basilica of Saints Peter and Paul early Sunday morning.

Hundreds of people moved through color guards from around the state. Dozens more lined the stairs heading up to the basilica for the annual Blue Mass honoring law enforcement, fire and emergency personnel from across Maine.

“In a particular way, you who are in the work of public safety, all of you have been entrusted with a very special share in God’s saving work,” Bishop Richard J. Malone told the sea of uniformed public safety and service personnel gathered before him.

Be it helping the “lost” who are victims of crimes or the criminals who are “lost” themselves, Malone stressed the importance in honoring the state’s law enforcement, fire and emergency service personnel during the annual Mass. Malone said Maine holds the special Mass each year around the anniversary of the Sept. 11, 2001, attacks that killed more than 3,000 people in New York, Washington, D.C., and Shanksville, Pa.

“We lose lives in this job, and this is a good way to remember those who put their lives on the line everyday,” said Trooper Lauren Edstrom, a member of the Maine State Police Color Guard from York County. “It’s just important. It’s important for us to remember our own.”

Several hundred people attended — both in and out of uniform — the annual Mass, which is held in a different city each year. Neila Nelke, 69, of Lewiston said she came to the Mass to show her support for local men and women in uniform.

“I think that anytime we can support the men and women who are in these professions — people who put their lives on the line everyday — it’s the least we can do,” Nelke said.

Representatives from across the state and across the public service arena gathered in Lewiston for the special commemorative Mass honoring their dedication to the people of Maine. Members of the various public safety agencies attended the Mass in uniform, color guards were on hand and vehicles representing the departments were displayed around the Basilica.

“I think it’s important for everyone to get together and remember the first responders and the sacrifices they made,” said Lewiston Police Chief Michael Bussiere.