Red Mass October 30, 2025

 

The Red Mass

The Red Mass is offered for the legal profession at the beginning of the judicial year to ask the Holy Spirit for guidance, strength and hope. The name “Red Mass” comes from the color of the vestments of the clergy and, originally as well, from the robes of the assembled judges and scholars. The red vestments of the clergy recall that the Holy Spirit came to the Apostles and disciples in the form of tongues of fire on Pentecost Sunday. Judicial robes in Europe, where the tradition began, are often a brilliant scarlet. Similarly, the academic robes of professors with doctorate degrees in law were a bright red. Although Masses invoking the Holy Spirit are celebrated on other occasions, notably at the beginning of the academic year at universities, the historic predominance of red at the opening of the judicial year has identified the name “Red Mass” almost exclusively with the Eucharistic liturgy celebrated at that time. The tradition began during the Thirteenth Century in several European countries. In England, the Red Mass is celebrated on a date close to September 29, Michaelmas (the feast of St. Michael), which is the first day of the fall court sessions. In the United States, the Red Mass began to be celebrated in the Twentieth Century around that same date in many dioceses and, on occasion, in connection with bar association activities. In Philadelphia, the tradition began in 1952, when the Red Mass opened the 150th Anniversary celebration of the Philadelphia Bar Association. The St. Thomas More Society of Philadelphia sponsored Philadelphia’s first Red Mass in 1952 at the Cathedral of Saints Peter and Paul. An overflow crowd heard Archbishop O'Hara deliver a homily on "The Natural Law." It was such a magnificent occasion that the officers of the Society quickly laid plans to assure that the tradition would be continued. 

Ever since, the annual Red Mass has been the Society's most visible activity, continuing through seven decades. Like many traditions, the Red Mass was interrupted by the COVID pandemic and did not resume until October 30, 2025, when it will be celebrated at the Church of Saint John the Evangelist, whose pastor, Fr. Thomas Betz O.F.M. Cap., also a civil lawyer and a longtime supporter of the Society, was instrumental in the resumption of this important service to the legal community.

Red Mass 2019

The Eleanor H. McCullen Center for Law, Religion and Public Policy and Saint Thomas More Society of Philadelphia present Peter Steinfels Former Religion Correspondent, The New York Times University Professor Emeritus, Fordham University Former Editor, Commonweal The Church and the Scandal: New Challenges, New Questions Thursday, April 25, 2019 4:30 p.m. Laurence E. Hirsch '71 Classroom (Room 101) Author of a recent essay in Commonweal, "The PA Grand-Jury Report: Not What It Seems," Peter Steinfels is University Professor Emeritus at Fordham University and was previously co-director of the Fordham Center on Religion and Culture. He was the senior religion correspondent for The New York Times from 1988 to 1997 and a columnist until 2010. His publications include A People Adrift: The Crisis of the Roman Catholic Church in America (2003). He has held positions at Georgetown University, the University of Notre Dame, and the University of Dayton, served as editor of the journal Commonweal, and been a consultant for the PBS series Religious and Ethics Newsweekly. He holds a PhD from Columbia University. The event takes place on Thursday, April 25 at 4:30 p.m. in the Laurence E. Hirsch '71 Classroom (Room 101) of Villanova University Charles Widger School of Law (299 North Spring Mill Road, Villanova, PA). This program is approved by the Pennsylvania Continuing Legal Education Board for 1 substantive CLE credit. **The event is free and open to the public.** Villanova University Charles Widger School of Law 299 North Spring Mill Road 610-519-7000 www.law.villanova.edu

Gest Forum 04/25/2019

Gest Forum (Co-Presented by Villanova University Charles Widger School of Law (“VLS”)

VLS, 299 N. Spring Mill Road, Room 101,

Villanova, PA 19085 @ 4:30 p.m.

             

“The Church and the Scandal: New Challenges, New Questions” 

presenter:

    Prof. (Ret.) Peter Steinfels ~ Fordham University

                                One CLE Credit

Red Mass 2018

Please join the St. Thomas More Society of Philadelphia for
the annual celebration of the Red Mass.

Tuesday, November 27, 2018

5:15PM

Old St. Mary's Church

252 South 4th St. (in between 4th & Spruce and 4th & Locust)

Philadelphia, PA 19106.

Reception to follow, Powel House, 244 South 3rd St., Philadelphia, PA, 19106, where the Villanova University Clinical Program will receive the St. Thomas More Award.

$45/person, $25/student. RSVP to Cathy VanArsdale at vanarsdale@blankrome.com. 

2018 Gest Forum Pictures

Pictures from our 2018 Gest Forum CLE event: