Event Name:  The Red Mass Tradition
Location:  Corpus Christi Cathedral
Date:  Oct 2, 2012
Time:  6:00 PM

Bishop Mulvey requests the pleasure of your participation in the celebration of The Red Mass on Tuesday, October 2. The Red Mass is a special service calling upon God as the supreme law giver for His guidance and blessings on the administration of justice and those whose duty it is to teach, judge, and resolve legal matters. The Mass also encourages participants to reflect upon the God-given power and responsibility of all in the legal profession.

The Honorable Judges Vesting will begin at 5 p.m. at Corpus Christi Cathedral's St. Joseph’s Hall. The Mass will begin at 6 p.m. at Corpus Christi Cathedral, located at 505 N. Upper Broadway in Corpus Christi. A reception will follow the Mass at St. Joseph’s Hall. To RSVP, please contact the Chancellor’s Office at  (361) 882-6191 ext. 683, or by emailing Nancy Aleman at naleman@diocesecc.org.                                                                   

The first recorded Red Mass was celebrated in Paris in 1245. From there, it spread to most European countries. In 1310, during the reign of Edward II, the tradition began in England where the Mass was celebrated at Westminster Abbey and served as the official opening of the Judicial Year. It received its name from the fact that the celebrants’ vestments and the robes of the High Judges of the English Court and all doctors of law traditionally were red in symbolism of the Holy Spirit.

The Red Mass was first celebrated in the United States in 1877 and today is celebrated in most dioceses throughout our country. The celebration of this Mass promotes the unity of the judiciary and legal profession.