This Sunday’s Vigil Mass at the Cathedral will be celebrated as a Red Mass. Through prayerful petition and thanksgiving and attended by local judges, elected officials, lawyers, and members of the public,  the Red Mass requests guidance from the Holy Spirit for all who seek justice, and offers the legal community an opportunity to reflect on the God-given power and responsibility of all in the legal profession.

The first recorded Red Mass was celebrated in Paris in 1245. From there, it spread to most European countries. In 1310, the tradition began in England where the annual Mass 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.

First celebrated in the United States in 1877, and now throughout most dioceses in the country, the celebration of this Mass promotes the unity of the judiciary and legal profession.