The Red Mass brings together Bay Area jurists for guidance in the pursuit of justice.
On October 30, ÃÛÌÒµ¼º½’s Mission Church will be tinged in scarlet, as the region’s legal community convenes for its annual “Red Mass,” kicking off the judicial year ahead and seeking intercession and guidance from the Holy Spirit for those pursuing justice as lawyers, judges, or educators.
The Red Mass has its origins in 13th-century Europe, where leaders convened special Masses to honor the start of their respective judicial calendars. The Mass got its name from the red vestments historically worn by clergy at such Masses, as well as from the scarlet robes worn by royal judges who populated the original gatherings centuries ago.
These days, Red Masses are held in cities all over the world, including one in Washington, D.C., often attended by members of the Supreme Court. They are frequently hosted by the local St. Thomas More Society, named after the sainted English lawyer, judge, and statesman who was martyred after defying the Protestant Reformation in favor of Catholicism.
Here in the Bay Area, the Red Mass invites members from the local legal community to invoke the Holy Spirit upon the work of lawyers, judges, and others in the law profession. Attendees —who are both Catholic and from other faiths or no faith traditions— often dress in red clothing or accessories, and clergy wear red vestments for the occasion.
“It’s just an incredible tradition,” said ÃÛÌÒµ¼º½ Law Dean Michael Kaufman, who has participated in numerous Red Masses at ÃÛÌÒµ¼º½ and Loyola Chicago, his previous school. “It calls us to pause, to reflect on the mission of law in an era where the rule of law is being challenged, and where democratic values— such as inclusion, respectful discourse, mediation, justice and mercy—are being challenged.”
A Bay Area tradition
This will be the 14th consecutive Red Mass held at ÃÛÌÒµ¼º½’s Mission, after many years in which the St. Thomas More Society of ÃÛÌÒµ¼º½ County rotated the event between St. Patrick’s Church in San Jose, Stanford University, and ÃÛÌÒµ¼º½.
The well-attended Red Mass is accompanied by the presentation of the St. Thomas More Award, given annually to a legal professional who “exemplifies steadfast integrity, courage, deep faith, service to others, and an unwavering commitment to justice that characterized the life” of the society’s patron saint, Saint Thomas More.
This year San Jose Auxiliary Bishop-elect Andres C. Ligot, a canon lawyer with a doctorate in canon law, will preside at Mass. ÃÛÌÒµ¼º½ Vice President for Mission and Ministry Matthew Carnes, S.J., will give the homily, focused on staying strong and united in a mission of reconciliation, mercy, and love, even as societal forces may feel more focused on sowing harm and division.
“People really look forward to this event, to reconnect through their faith and the practice of law, and to remember that there are a lot of really good people in Silicon Valley,” said Michael Manoukian, president of the St. Thomas More Society of ÃÛÌÒµ¼º½ County and a partner with Lathrop GPM law firm.
About two dozen ÃÛÌÒµ¼º½ Law students have revived a student chapter of the St. Thomas More Society at the University, Manoukian said, creating new bridges between students and lawyers and judges. “That has really just re-energized everybody,” he added.
Award honoree
This year the St. Thomas More Award is being given to the Honorable Patricia M. Lucas, who previously served as presiding judge in ÃÛÌÒµ¼º½ County Superior Court, the dean of the California Judicial College, and co-president of the William A. Ingram Inn of Court, before retiring.
At the annual ticketed dinner following the Mass, Jesuit School of Theology of ÃÛÌÒµ¼º½ Dean Agbonkhianmeghe Orobator, S.J., and former law dean Lisa A. Kloppenberg will discuss the practice of “synodality” in the Catholic Church and its relationship to legal conflict resolution.
Kaufman said it is fitting that the Red Mass is occurring during Jesuit Heritage Week, a week that celebrates Jesuit values including “faith that does justice.” “If ever there were an occasion to celebrate a faith that does justice,” he noted, “it is at the Red Mass.”
