Red Mass

A special invitation is extended to all serving in the legal and law profession to join us in celebrating our annual Red Mass at St. Francis of Assisi Church. As a time honored tradition of the Catholic Church, the Red Mass is celebrated to pray for judges, attorneys, law school professors, students, and government officials, invoking the guidance of the Holy Spirit for all who seek justice.

Background: The Red Mass represents a special time to reflect upon the God
given responsibility of all in the legal profession. The first recorded Red Mass was celebrated in the Cathedral of Paris in 1245. In certain localities of France, the Red Mass was celebrated in honor of Saint Ives, the Patron Saint of Lawyers. From there, it spread to most European countries. The tradition began in England in 1310 during the reign of Edward II. St. Thomas More, an English lawyer, statesman and councilor to Henry VIII, who was martyred in 1532, was declared by St. John Paul II to be the “Heavenly Patron of Statesmen and Politicians.” The first Red Mass in the United States was held in 1877 at Saints Peter and Paul Church in Detroit, Michigan and has been celebrated annually since 1912. In New York City, a Red Mass was first held in 1928 at the Church of St. Andrew, near the courthouses of Foley Square, celebrated by Cardinal Patrick Joseph Hayes, who strongly advocated and buttressed the legal community's part in evangelization.

Prayer Intention: For the blessing of all who serve in the judicial and law profession, that they may be guided by the Holy Spirit in prudence and wisdom as they serve the common good, we pray to the Lord.