Red Mass is celebrated for lawyers, judges, police

IC photo by Christine Young

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Bishop John C. Wester (center) presides over the Red Mass for lawyers, prosecutors, judges, police officers and people who work in the criminal justice system. Father Patrick Carley (second from left), pastor of St. Joseph the Worker Parish, Deacon Mic

Those in the criminal justice system come together to support one another through prayer

SALT LAKE CITY — “The Red Mass is a wonderful opportunity for us to gather with our lawyers, judges, police officers and those in the legal arena to come together and to pray for one another and this important service to our society,” said the Most Rev. John C. Wester, Bishop of the Diocese of Salt Lake City.

“It is very much patterned after Saint Thomas More, a martyr of the church, who loved the law and promoted the law, but who also obeyed God’s law above all,” said the bishop.

“This is an opportunity for us to support those in the legal profession in whatever capacity, to show our support for them, and our hope that they would support one another,” said Bishop Wester. “As we all acknowledge God as the ultimate law giver; that is to say, the law of love.”

This was the second annual Red Mass held in the Diocese of Salt Lake City.

“As I would attend Masses at the Cathedral of the Madeleine and elsewhere over the years, I would see people I knew who were lawyers, police officers, or judges,” said Lawyer Ronald Yengich. “I thought there are so many saints that were lawyers. St. Thomas More and Alphonse de Liguori come to mind. I thought it would be nice to have a Mass. I spoke with Deacon Scott Dodge and Deacon Lynn Johnson from the Cathedral of the Madeleine, and Father Joseph Mayo, pastor of the Cathedral of the Madeleine, who told Bishop Wester. Bishop Wester said it was called a Red Mass, and discussed how it is celebrated right before the Supreme Court term starts in the fall.”

A Red Mass is a Mass celebrated annually in the Catholic Church for judges, attorneys, law school professors, students and government officials. The Mass requests guidance from the Holy Spirit for all who seek justice, and offers the opportunity to reflect on what Catholics believe is the God-given power and responsibility of all in the legal profession.

Originating in Europe during the high Middle Ages, the Red Mass is named for the red vestments traditionally worn in symbolism of the tongues of fire that descended on the Apostles. Additionally, Judges of the High Court of England and all doctors of law wore red robes or academic hoods.

The first recorded Red Mass was celebrated in the Cathedral of Paris in 1245. From there, it spread to most European countries. Around 1310, during the reign of Edward II, the tradition began in England. It was attended at the opening of each term of Court by all members of the bench and bar. The tradition was introduced into the United States in 1928 at the Church of St. Andrew, New York City, near the courthouses of Foley Square, celebrated by Patrick Cardinal Haves, who strongly advocated the legal community’s part in evangelization.

“I called a group of lawyers together, and I spoke to Judge Kim Hornack and Narda Beas-Nordell, a prosecutor, and they thought having a Red Mass was a good idea,” said Yengich.

“After the Mass, Bishop Wester talked to me about starting a St. Thomas More Society,” said Yengich.

St. Thomas More was born the son of a judge in London in 1478. Influenced by his father, he became a lawyer and served in King Henry VIII’s court.

“So this year we have put together a group of ecumenical lawyers who are interested in justice from a moral, ethical and religious perspective. With the bishop’s blessing, we have formed a St. Thomas More Society for lawyers, judges and police officers, and also people who work in the criminal justice system such as clerks, secretaries, and administrative assistants. We have incorporated the St. Thomas More Society, which was approved by the diocese. We have been meetings and our primary goal is simply to have the Red Mass every year and also to have a lecture series.

“Our first lecture will be in November, and it will be about justice from a religious perspective,” said Yengich. “We are going to have Catholic, Buddhist, Jewish, and Mormon jurists or lawyers form a panel and have a discussion for which people can get continuing legal education credits. We will do this annually in conjunction with the Red Mass.

“There have been a lot of people involved in planning these events,” said Yengich. “We have had a lot of good response from prosecutors, judges, court staff, and from people who are staff for lawyers. At the bishop’s request, although this is a Catholic Mass, the Mass and the St. Thomas More Society are open to everyone, even those without faith.

“The Red Mass is a way to put a religious and moral face on what we as lawyers and judges do,” said Yengich. “It is a way to maybe make us all think a little bit deeper about the issues we confront in the system of justice, and hopefully make us better at what we do and more receptive to the problems that each of us face in the system of justice whether we work in it or whether we are people that find ourselves immersed in it.”