The Red Mass

Hard to believe that a tradition started in the year 1245 still has relevance today. But that's the year that a Red Mass was celebrated in the Cathedral of Paris. It soon spread to other European countries. The tradition made its way to the United States in 1877 at Saints Peter and Paul Church in Detroit.

What is a Red Mass? Well, it is a special liturgy that invokes blessings from the Holy Spirit for judges, attorneys, professors, students, paralegals and government officials who work for or administer justice in our society.

The Sisters of Providence will host a Red Mass at 11 a.m. Sunday, Oct. 24, in the Church of the Immaculate Conception. The liturgy is open to the public and to people of all faith traditions.

Because our Red Mass will be offered on a Sunday, we are obligated to follow the readings of the day, the 30th Sunday in Ordinary Time. But, as Providence would have it, those readings offer a justice theme. Also, special blessings will be offered in addition to the regular liturgy.

The best-known Red Mass is celebrated on the last Sunday of September in Washington, D.C., to recognize the opening of a new year for the Supreme Court of the United States, which is Oct. 1. Several, if not all, Supreme Court justices attend that mass, along with high-ranking government officials.

The Sisters of Providence hosted their first Red Mass in 2008, with the permission of the Archbishop of Indianapolis. The liturgical celebration is being restarted this year with the hope of making an annual offering. Those who work for and administer justice in the Terre Haute area have received special invitations. Those who attend will process into the church and several of them will participate as liturgical ministers.

The Red Mass has been a tradition in several larger cities in the United States for decades. And for trivia enthusiasts, think about this: An episode of The West Wing, starring Martin Sheen as President Jed Bartlett, was titled "The Red Mass."