Red Mass - Red Mass Today

Red Mass Today

One of the better-known Red Masses is the one celebrated each fall at the Cathedral of St. Matthew the Apostle in Washington, D.C. on the Sunday before the first Monday in October (the Supreme Court convenes on the first Monday in October). It is sponsored by the John Carroll Society and attended by some Supreme Court justices, members of Congress, the diplomatic corps, the Cabinet and other government departments and sometimes the President of the United States. Justice Ruth Bader Ginsburg, who is Jewish, used to attend the Red Mass with her Christian colleagues but no longer does so due to her objection to a series of homilies opposing abortion. In the 2011 St. Matthew mass, all three female members of the Court — Ginsburg, Sonia Sotomayor (who is Catholic) and Elena Kagan (who is Jewish) — stayed away, while the six male members attended. Also attending the mass conducted by Cardinal Donald Wuerl, who called it "an opportunity to pray 'for all of those involved in the administration of justice,'" were White House Chief of Staff William Daley, Defense Secretary Leon Panetta and Transportation Secretary Ray LaHood. "ublic officials were urged to serve God as they serve others." On September 30, 2012, six of the nine justices were at the Red Mass, tying the most amount who attended in 2009. Chief Justice John Roberts and Justices Breyer, Scalia, Thomas, Kennedy and Kagan were present, while Alito, Ginsburg and Sotomayor did not attend.

On September 25, 2012, the oldest continuously celebrated Red Mass in the United States held its 100th anniversary in Downtown Detroit at the University of Detroit Mercy School of Law, Saints Peter and Paul Church, 629 Jefferson Avenue, Detroit, Michigan. The Honorable Michael Cavanagh, Justice of the Michigan Supreme Court, delivered the Renewal of the Lawyer’s Oath of Commitment.

In Ireland, the Votive Mass of the Holy Spirit (the Red Mass) is held annually on the first Monday of October, which is the first day of the Michaelmas Law Term. The ceremony is held at St. Michan's Roman Catholic church, which is the parish church of the Four Courts. It is attended by the Irish judiciary, barristers and solicitors, as well as representatives of the diplomatic corps, Gardaí, the Northern Irish, English and Scottish judiciary. The judiciary do not wear their judicial robes, although formal morning dress is worn.

In Scotland a Red Mass is held annually each autumn in St. Mary's Cathedral in Edinburgh to mark the beginning of the Scottish Judicial year. It is attended by Catholic judges of the High Court of Justiciary, sheriffs, advocates, solicitors and law students all dressed in their robes of office. The robes of the Lords Commissioner of Justiciary are red faced with white. The Mass is presided over by Cardinal Keith O'Brien.

In the Philippines, Ateneo de Manila University, Xavier University – Ateneo de Cagayan, and other Jesuit schools have celebrated the Red Mass annually as the "Mass of the Holy Spirit."