By Nathaniel M. Fouch
The record-shattering number of people who tuned in to the recent coronation of Charles III gives ample evidence of a deep human longing for ritual and ceremony. While the United States abandoned monarchy long ago, the American legal profession nonetheless retains an ancient annual ceremony fit for a king. Each fall, the Red Mass is celebrated throughout the United States as lawyers and public officials of all faiths seek to invoke God’s blessing and guidance on the administration of justice in the coming year. The Saint Thomas More Lawyers Guild of Greater Cincinnati invites all members of the legal profession and their families to join us for the 25th Annual Cincinnati Red Mass.
With deep roots in our English Common Law history, the Red Mass—named for the color of the presiding bishop’s vestments—has become a cherished tradition for attorneys and judges of all or no faiths in the United States. This Catholic ceremony is celebrated in cities across the country. Its date in early autumn coincides with the traditional beginning of the English legal year, which is also the beginning of the U.S. Supreme Court’s annual term. In Washington, U.S. Supreme Court justices and high-ranking federal officials of all faiths and both parties regularly attend. In Cincinnati, attendees gather from across Ohio and Northern Kentucky, including state supreme court justices, federal judges, professors, private and government attorneys, law students, and paralegals.
This year, the Red Mass will take place at the beautiful Cathedral Basilica of the Assumption in Covington, Kentucky, and will be presided over by the Bishop of Covington, the Most Reverend John C. Iffert. While similar in form to an ordinary Catholic mass, this special ceremony is marked by greater solemnity, and its messages are directed specifically toward lawyers and judges. It is part celebration of the profession, part admonishment to fulfill the high ethics of our oaths, and part blessing of practitioners embarking on another year in law.
The Red Mass will be followed by a reception in the Cathedral Gardens with hors d’oeuvres, drinks, fellowship, and a brief conferral of awards. We hope you will embrace this unique opportunity and join us for the 25th Annual Red Mass on Thursday, September 21, at 5 p.m. at the Cathedral Basilica of the Assumption in Covington. The event is free of charge and there will be free parking.