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{{short description|Liturgy in the Catholic Church for members of the legal profession}}
{{about|the Catholic liturgy for members of the legal profession|the West Wing episode|The Red Mass}}
{{mdy|date=June 2023}}
{{Infobox religion
| name                = Red Mass
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| image               = File:Red Mass 2012 (11222993585).jpg
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| alt        = Red Mass
| caption             = Red Mass at the [[Villanova University School of Law|Villanova School of Law]] (2012)
| type                = [[Mass in the Catholic Church|Mass]]
| orientation         = [[Catholic Church]]
| scripture           = {{bibleverse||Acts|2:1-4|63}}
| other_names         = 
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}}
A '''Red Mass''' is a [[Catholic Mass]]  annually offered towards all members of the legal profession, regardless of religious affiliation: [[judge]]s, [[lawyer]]s, [[law school]] [[professor]]s, [[law student]]s, and [[government official]]s, marking the opening of the judicial year. The religious service requests guidance from the [[Holy Spirit (Christianity)|Holy Spirit]] for all who seek [[justice]], and offers the legal community an opportunity to reflect on the power and responsibility of all in the [[legal profession]].

Originating in Europe during the [[High Middle Ages]], the Red Mass derives from the red [[vestments]] traditionally worn in symbolism of the tongues of fire (the Holy Spirit) that descended on the [[Apostles in the New Testament|Apostles]] at [[Pentecost Sunday]] ({{bibleverse||Acts|2:1-4|63}}). Its name also exemplifies the scarlet robes worn by royal judges that attended the Mass centuries ago.<ref name="jcs">{{cite web | title = The Red Mass | work = The John Carroll Society |url=http://www.johncarrollsociety.org/jcs-membership/the-red-mass/index.aspx  | archive-url = https://web.archive.org/web/20130407060333/http://www.johncarrollsociety.org/jcs-membership/the-red-mass/index.aspx | archive-date = April 7, 2013 }}</ref>

In many countries with a [[Protestant]] tradition, such as [[England and Wales]] and [[Australia]], a similar church service is held to mark the start of the [[legal year]], with judges customarily wearing their ceremonial regalia.

==History==
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 [[Ivo of Kermartin|Saint Ives]], the Patron Saint of Lawyers.<ref name=tbclg>{{cite web|url=http://www.tbclg.org/history.html|title=The Origin and History of the Red Mass|publisher=Tampa Bay Catholic Lawyers Guild}}</ref> From there, it spread to most [[Europe]]an countries. The tradition began in [[England]] around 1310, during the reign of [[Edward II of England|Edward II]]. It was attended at the opening of each term of Court by all members of the Bench and Bar. Today the Red Mass is celebrated annually at [[Westminster Cathedral]].<ref name=jcs/>

In the United States, the first Red Mass was held in 1877 at [[Saints Peter and Paul Church, Detroit, Michigan|Saints Peter and Paul Church]] Detroit, Michigan, by Detroit College, as the [[University of Detroit Mercy]] was known at the time.  UDM School of Law resumed the tradition beginning in 1912 and continues to hold it annually.  In New York City, a Red Mass was first held in 1928 at the [[St. Andrew's Church (New York City)|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.<ref>{{cite web | url = http://redmass.com/redmass.html  | title = History of the Red Mass | work =Thomas More Society of South Florida}}</ref><ref>{{cite web | url = http://www.christianethicstoday.com/Issue/039/The%20Red%20Mass%20By%20John%20M.%20Swomley_039_26_.htm | title = The Red Mass | author = John M. Swomley|  access-date=2008-10-15 | work = Christian Ethics Today | date = 2002-04-17| archive-url = https://web.archive.org/web/20081015023635/http://www.christianethicstoday.com/Issue/039/The%20Red%20Mass%20By%20John%20M.%20Swomley_039_26_.htm | archive-date = 2008-10-15 }}</ref>

In [[Canada]], the Red Mass has been celebrated in [[Toronto]] since the mid-1920's. Its has been organized by The Thomas More Lawyers' Guild of Toronto on an annual basis since 1931.<ref>{{Cite web |title=Thomas More - Lawyers' Guild of Toronto - Red Mass |url=https://www.thomasmoreguild.ca/red-mass.html |access-date=2024-08-15 |website=www.thomasmoreguild.ca}}</ref><ref>{{Cite web |title=Log In {{!}} Ottawa Public Library {{!}} BiblioCommons |url=https://ottawa.bibliocommons.com/user/login?destination=%2Fezproxy%2Fauthenticate%3Furl%3Dezp.2aHR0cHM6Ly93d3cucHJvcXVlc3QuY29tL2NhbmFkaWFubmV3c21ham9yL2RvY3ZpZXcvODg4ODIwNzMxLzY5RUJCM0I0RTU2OTRFMzFQUS8zP2FjY291bnRpZD00NjUyNiZzb3VyY2V0eXBlPU5ld3NwYXBlcnM- |access-date=2024-08-15 |website=Ottawa Public Library |language=en-CA}}</ref>   It was re-instituted in [[Sydney, Australia]] in 1931.

==Red Mass today==
The main difference between the Red Mass and a traditional Mass is that the focus of prayer and blessings concentrate on the leadership roles of those present. The gifts of the Holy Spirit: wisdom, understanding, counsel and fortitude, are customarily invoked upon those in attendance.<ref name=clgb/>

===Ireland===
In [[Ireland]], the Votive Mass of the Holy Spirit (the Red Mass) is held annually on the first Monday of October, which is the first day of the [[Michaelmas]] Law Term. The ceremony is held at [[St. Michan's Catholic Church, Dublin|St. Michan's Roman Catholic church]], which is the parish church of the [[Four Courts]]. It is attended by the Irish judiciary, barristers and solicitors, as well as representatives of the diplomatic corps, [[Gardaí]], the [[Northern Ireland|Northern Irish]], [[England|English]] and [[Scotland|Scottish]] judiciary. The judiciary do not wear their judicial robes, although formal morning dress is worn. Journalist [[Dearbhail McDonald]] has described it as "a grave, necessary reminder of the awesome powers and responsibilities of all those who dispense justice, including judges, lawyers, government and [[gardaí]]." A parallel ceremony is held at [[St. Michan's Church, Dublin|St. Michan's Church of Ireland (Anglican Protestant)]].<ref>{{cite news |url=http://www.independent.ie/opinion/comment/prayer-for-reformed-judicial-appointment-process-has-fallen-on-deaf-political-ears-30643908.html |first=Dearbhail |last=McDonald |date=October 7, 2014 |title=Prayer for reformed judicial appointment process has fallen on deaf political ears |publisher=[[Irish Independent]] }}</ref>

===Philippines===
In the [[Philippines]], [[De La Salle University]], [[Xavier University – Ateneo de Cagayan]], and [[List of Jesuit educational institutions in the Philippines|other Jesuit schools]], and [[Holy Angel University]] annually celebrate the Red Mass, which they call "Mass of the Holy Spirit." The [[University of Santo Tomas]],  the [[Colegio de San Juan de Letran]] (Dominicans), and the [[San Beda University]] (Benedictines)  also celebrate the Red Mass, known as ''Misa de Apertura'', that is followed by the ''Discurso de Apertura'' to formally open the academic year.

===Scotland===
In [[Scotland]], a Red Mass is held annually each autumn in [[St. Mary's Cathedral, Edinburgh (Roman Catholic)|St. Mary's Roman Catholic Cathedral]] in [[Edinburgh]] to mark the beginning of the Scottish Judicial year. It is attended by Roman Catholic [[Senator of the College of Justice|Senators of the College of Justice]], sheriffs, advocates, solicitors and law students all dressed in their robes of office. The robes of the Senators are red faced with white.

===United States===
<!-- Deleted image removed: [[File:RedMass2010.png|thumbnail|University of Detroit Mercy School of Law 2010 Red Mass Announcement]] -->
[[File:RedMassAnnouncement.Austin.2009.pdf|thumb|Diocese of Austin 2009 Red Mass Announcement]]
One of the better-known Red Masses is the one celebrated each fall at the [[Cathedral of St. Matthew the Apostle (Washington, D.C.)|Cathedral of St. Matthew the Apostle]] in [[Washington, D.C.]], on the Sunday before the first Monday in October (the Supreme Court convenes on the first Monday in October). It is sponsored by the [[John Carroll Society]] and attended by some [[Supreme Court of the United States|Supreme Court]] [[List of Justices of the Supreme Court of the United States|justices]], members of [[United States Congress|Congress]], the diplomatic corps, the [[United States Cabinet|Cabinet]] and other government departments and sometimes the [[President of the United States]]. Each year, at the Brunch following the Red Mass, the Society confers its Pro Bono Legal Service Awards to thank lawyers and law firms that have provided outstanding service.<ref name=jcs/>

Justice [[Ruth Bader Ginsburg]], who was [[Judaism|Jewish]], used to attend the Red Mass with her Christian colleagues earlier in her tenure on the Court, but later stopped attending due to her objection to the use of images of aborted fetuses during a homily opposing abortion.<ref>{{cite news | url = http://www.time.com/time/nation/article/0,8599,1934924,00.html  | archive-url = https://web.archive.org/web/20091109022142/http://www.time.com/time/nation/article/0,8599,1934924,00.html  | url-status = dead  | archive-date = November 9, 2009  | title = A Tale of Two Priests; 'Priests Spar Over What It Means to Be Catholic | date=2009-11-16 | work = [[TIME Magazine]] | page = 36 | access-date = 2009-12-03}}</ref>{{importance inline}}

The first Red Mass in the United States was celebrated at [[Saints Peter and Paul Church (Detroit)]] in 1877, under the auspices of what is now the [[University of Detroit Mercy]]. The tradition was resumed in 1912, and has been held annually since.<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.legalnews.com/detroit/1367769|title=UDM Law holds Centennial Red Mass > Detroit Legal News|website=www.legalnews.com}}</ref> This Red Mass is the oldest continuously held in the United States. The better-known Red Mass in New York was first celebrated in 1928.<ref>{{cite news|url=https://time.com/4051932/red-mass-supreme-court/|title=Here's Why People Are About to Pray for the Supreme Court|publisher=[[Time (magazine)|Time]] }}</ref> The first Red Mass in Boston was celebrated on October 4, 1941 at Immaculate Conception Church under the auspices of [[Boston College Law School]].<ref name=clgb>{{cite web|url=http://clgb.org/the-red-mass/|title=The Red Mass - The Catholic Lawyers' Guild of the Archdiocese of Boston|website=clgb.org}}</ref> A Red Mass is also celebrated at St. Joseph's Cathedral in the Diocese of Manchester, New Hampshire,<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.catholicnh.org/parish/worship/redmass/|title="Red Mass", Diocese of Manchester}}</ref> at the [[University of San Diego]], and at the [[Basilica of the National Shrine of the Assumption of the Blessed Virgin Mary (Baltimore)|Basilica of the Assumption in the Archdiocese of Baltimore]].<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.archbalt.org/about-us/chancery/st-thomas-more-society.cfm|title=Welcome to the Archdiocese of Baltimore|website=Archdiocese of Baltimore}}</ref> A Red Mass was first observed in Washington, D.C., in 1939 at the National Shrine of the Immaculate Conception. It continued as an annual event there under the auspices of the law school of the Catholic University of America. It was held in January to coincide with the opening of Congress. In 1953 it was moved to St. Matthew's Cathedral, but continued to be held at the beginning of the year until 1977.<ref>{{Cite web|url=https://chasingchurches.com/2018/09/29/red-mass-in-washington/|title=Red Mass in Washington|last=Bains|first=David|date=September 29, 2018|website=Chasing Churches}}</ref>  The [[University of Notre Dame]] ordinarily celebrates a Red Mass in the [[Basilica of the Sacred Heart (Notre Dame)|Basilica of the Sacred Heart]] each fall semester, at which the [[Roman Catholic Diocese of Fort Wayne–South Bend|bishop of Fort Wayne-South Bend]] typically presides.{{fact|date=February 2025}}

===Australia===
The St Thomas More Society for Catholic lawyers, founded in Sydney in 1945, holds a Red Mass annually.<ref>{{cite journal |last=Franklin |first=James |author-link=James Franklin (philosopher) |date=2022 |title=Catholic Action, Sydney Style: Catholic lay organisations from friendly societies to the Vice Squad |url=https://web.maths.unsw.edu.au/~jim/vicesquadpublished.pdf |journal=Journal of the Royal Australian Historical Society |volume=108 |issue=2 |pages=172–201 |doi= |access-date=2 Jan 2023}}</ref>

==See also==
* [[Blue Mass]]

==References==
{{Reflist}}

==External links==
{{commons category|Red Mass}}
* {{cite web| url = http://simonfieldhouse.com/legal_works.htm | title = Legal drawings illustrating Red Mass| author =  Simon Fieldhouse| author-link =  Simon Fieldhouse| archive-url = https://web.archive.org/web/20070316153924/http://simonfieldhouse.com/legal_works.htm|access-date = 2007-03-16| archive-date = 2007-03-16}}
* {{cite web| url = http://www.legalnews.com/detroit/698416 | year =  2010  | title = Red Mass | work =  [[University of Detroit Mercy School of Law]]}}

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[[Category:Mass in the Catholic Church]]
[[Category:Catholicism and politics]]
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