CHARLOTTE — Lawyers, judges and other legal professionals gathered for a special celebration Wednesday at St. Patrick Cathedral to pray that the Holy Spirit would guide them in their work.
Called the Red Mass, the celebration has its roots in 13th century Europe, when it was started by Pope Innocent IV in 1243 for the Ecclesial Judicial Court. The tradition spread and now Red Masses – so called because the clergy wear red vestments for the liturgy, a votive Mass of the Holy Spirit – are celebrated in many nations to mark the beginning of the judicial year. In the U.S., a Red Mass is usually offered in conjunction with the opening of the U.S. Supreme Court session each fall.
This was the first Red Mass offered in the Diocese of Charlotte since 2019 and the first such celebration for Bishop Michael Martin.
Bishop Martin said the Red Mass offered a chance to celebrate freedom “and the glory of God made manifest in the ways our society has constructed laws for the administration of justice.”
The bishop began his homily with a dose of his signature humor. Looking out at the congregation of about 75 people, he quipped that the line “75 lawyers and a bishop walk into a bar” came to mind.
Switching to a more serious tone, Bishop Martin said the Red Mass is an important opportunity for people in the legal field to reflect on living out their faith through their work.
Those who serve in the legal profession must balance what is legal with what is just – living their lives within God’s call to follow the “greater good,” he said. “Are we rooted in this greater calling to be sons and daughters of God, and does our life reflect that?”
The day’s Gospel reading from Luke (Lk 6:20-26), which recounts Jesus preaching the Beatitudes, gives the answer and “calls us to something greater,” he said.
St. Thomas More, the patron of lawyers, was similarly called to the greater good – even to the point of giving up his life for what he believed was right, Bishop Martin noted.
He urged those present to use the practice of law to work for the greater good at all times.
“Try to find ways to elevate the legal, the foundational, to some greater level of justice,” he said. “That sometimes is within your capacity, within your grasp, within your power. Make that your goal and you will have sacrificed for the greater good.”
Bishop Martin also reflected on the significance of the Red Mass falling on the memorial of Sept. 11.
“This date reminds us that freedom is fragile and it cannot be torn down by demagogues who have an agenda that has nothing to do with justice, that has absolutely nothing to do with freedom,” he said. “May we also step beyond our comfort zone to defend the freedom that we’ve been given, that’s been entrusted to us.”
The Mass was followed by a reception featuring guest speaker U.S. District Court Judge Robert J. Conrad, director of the Administrative Office of the U.S. Courts.
Conrad is also the author of “John Fisher and Thomas More: Keeping Their Souls Without Losing Their Head.”
His speech reflected on the lives of St. Thomas More and others who put their faith first no matter what occupation they pursued.
Conrad encouraged the attendees to consider how law can be practiced as a witness for Christ’s message to the world. Being called to a mission of serving God “is not occupationally limited,” he said.
“There is not one spiritually correct career path,” he said. “Each of us is called to a mission created and linked uniquely to us…What’s important is the movement of the heart within a certain field to do all for the glory of God.”
Attendee Kathleen Dooley was happy to see the Red Mass return after a four-year hiatus and drove from Lake Wylie in South Carolina to participate. Originally from New Jersey where the Red Mass was a common occurrence, she helped start the Red Mass tradition in the Charlotte diocese in 2007 after moving to the region. She recalled that the inaugural event was a very simple affair with a reception “that was more of a potluck dinner.”
Attorney Josh Davey also enjoyed the evening and the message.
“It’s wonderful to see the new bishop address the legal community and remind us of our daily calling,” Davey said.
— Christina Lee Knauss
About the St. Thomas More Society
About the St. Thomas More SocietyThe 2024 Red Mass was organized by the St. Thomas More Society of Charlotte. Named for the patron saint of lawyers, the society promotes Catholic virtue in practicing law and seeks to defend life, family and religious freedom.
The Charlotte group is sponsored by members of the North Carolina Bar who believe that the legal profession is a high calling in which the principal objective of every lawyer should be to promote and seek justice in society. Through fellowship with like-minded lawyers, the group strives to support its members in their spiritual growth and in incorporating Christian principles and the pursuit of truth in their spiritual and professional lives. The Charlotte group also encourages interfaith understanding and community, in part through the Red Mass, to invoke the assistance of the Holy Spirit for the judiciary, lawyers, law enforcement and other members of the legal community.