Red Mass unites courtroom opposites in worship and celebration

Friday, Sep. 27, 2019

SALT LAKE CITY — It’s not often that members of the criminal justice community who can sometimes seem like adversaries come together for anything, let alone worship. That’s why the annual Red Mass at the Cathedral of the Madeleine is so meaningful, according to organizer Ron Yengich.

“It’s really more than anything an opportunity to honor the tradition of justice,” said Yengich, a local defense attorney. “It is also an opportunity for people that may not be Catholic to see our traditions and the beauty of our liturgy celebration and in a respectful manner to honor people who seek justice which is what Jesus told us to seek.” 

This year the Red Mass will be celebrated Friday, Oct. 11 at noon at the cathedral. Bishop Oscar A. Solis will preside. All who serve in the criminal justice system – including attorneys, judges, law enforcement officers, clerks and secretaries, along with other emergency service personnel, members of the military and victims – are invited to participate. In addition, those who would like to show their support are welcomed.

“I want to invite everybody, including the public, to come,” Yengich said. “There’s so much conflict in the world, so much dumped on the criminal justice system to solve, I want them to come and see that this adversarial system that we live in doesn’t mean we don’t have to like each other.”

Yengich organized the first Red Mass 11 years ago with the help of his colleague Mike Kennedy, another local Catholic attorney. Almost every year since, the cathedral has been filled with attorneys, judges, police officers and others in a celebration of their service.

The origins of the Red Mass are more than 600 years old and stem from an annual tradition in England to commemorate the beginning of each new Court term. The Red Mass was first celebrated in the United States in 1877 at Saints Peter and Paul Church Detroit, Mich. by Detroit College (now the University of Detroit Mercy). The red liturgical vestments worn during the Mass represent the tongues of fire (the Holy Spirit) that descended on the Apostles at Pentecost and the red vestments worn by royal judges participating in the pope’s tribunal.

At the Oct. 11 Mass, a number of people who have retired or passed away including lawyers, judges, police officers and members of the military will be remembered.

“Because we come together at the table of the Eucharist, it’s like sitting down for a meal together,” said Michael George, chief investigator at the Utah Federal Defenders Office. “Whenever you sit down and eat and nourish the body together, that gets shared among the entire group of people that are there. After you share a meal, you always feel better about the person you sat down with, and that feeling carries over from the Red Mass for the year.”

It is a profound experience not lost on those who are not Catholic. Jeff Hill, chief deputy district attorney and a member of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints, has been attending the Red Mass at the cathedral since its beginnings.

“One of the great things about a cathedral is there is such a history and tradition there of it being a part of the community. Historically, a cathedral was the center of the town, the community, the population, where people went not only for spiritual education, instruction, the ordinances and the sacraments but it was the center of the community, too,” Hill said. 

“The Salt Lake diocese is so generous to invite everyone, to open its doors as a community partner for the Red Mass for all of us who are professional colleagues, judges, defense attorneys and peace officers,” he added. “This chance to come together at a place that has been traditionally the center of the community, I think is really significant; it is really important for us to preserve that tradition. It is good for us to meet with each other and be unified in that sacred space that is the cathedral where, Catholic, agnostic, Mormon or Jewish, you can still participate in the Red Mass from a spirit of community and coming together.”

Hall has his own special connection to the cathedral. An organ builder, he was one of several called upon to help with the installation of the cathedral’s organ during the 1993 renovation of that structure. It has left him with a lasting appreciation of the building and its community, he said.