The 2007 Red Mass, offered for judges, attorneys, law school professors and students, government officials, and those of all faith traditions who work in any capacity within the legal profession, will be celebrated at 6 p.m. on Oct. 19 at St. Patrick Cathedral, 1206 Throckmorton St. in downtown Fort Worth. Bishop Kevin Vann will preside as the celebrant and homilist. A reception will follow in the Fort Worth Convention Center.
According to the event's organizers, the Red Mass is offered to invoke divine guidance and strength while initiating the legal year. It is celebrated in honor of the Holy Spirit as the source of wisdom, understanding, counsel, and fortitude.
The custom of celebrating the Red Mass, said local attorney Robert Gieb, who is organizing this year's liturgy, "originated in Europe in the 13th century. The Red Mass has also been traditionally identified with the opening of the Sacred Roman Rota, the supreme judicial body of the Catholic church. The inauguration of the Red Mass in the United States occurred in New York City on Oct. 6, 1928."
Red Masses are held in Catholic churches across the country each fall,including the annual Red Mass celebrated at the Cathedral of St. Matthew the Apostle in Washington, D.C., on the first Monday in October. This Mass is attended by the Justices of the Supreme Court; members of Congress; members of the president's Cabinet; diplomats; and, at times, the President of the United States.
Cathedral parking will be available in the parking lot adjacent to the cathedral, on the parish lots between 12th and 13th streets, and on the street. For more information about the Red Mass, contact Robert Gieb at:
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