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As a subscriber you can listen to articles at work, in the car, or while you work out. Subscribe NowLawyers and judges around Indiana are preparing for Red Mass celebrations in their communities.
The roots of the annual church service stretch back to the 13th century when judges, lawyers and legislators of all faiths asked for blessing and divine guidance in their pursuit of justice. In Washington, D.C., at the National Shrine of the Immaculate Conception, justices of the Supreme Court of the United States traditionally join the president of the United States and members of Congress for the annual Red Mass which marks the start of the high court’s new term.
Red Masses will be occurring around the state in the coming weeks.
In Merrillville, the Catholic Foundation for Northwest Indiana will be hosting a Red Mass at 8 a.m. Sept. 22 at Our Lady of Consolation Church, 8303 Taft St. The Rev. Donald Hying will be the celebrant.
A complimentary breakfast and CLE seminar will follow at 9 a.m. The program, “There is More to Responsibility Than the Rules of Our Profession,” will be presented by Valparaiso Law School professor Ed Gaffney. Anyone interested in attending can register online at www.catholicfuture.org.
In South Bend, the Notre Dame Law School along with the University of Notre Dame Political Science Department and the Interdisciplinary Program in Constitutional Studies will be hosting a Red Mass at from 5 to 6:30 p.m. Oct. 2 at St. Joseph Parrish, 226 N. Hill St., South Bend. Bishop Kevin Rhodes of the Catholic Diocese of Fort Wayne-South Bend will be the celebrant.
A reception will follow. Attendees are asked to RSVP for the reception by emailing the diocesan office at [email protected].
In Evansville, a Red Mass will be held at noon Oct. 3 at St. Mary Catholic Church, 613 Cherry St. A reception will follow.
In Fort Wayne, the Red Mass will be held at 5:30 p.m. Oct. 3 at the Cathedral of Immaculate Conception, 1122 South Clinton St. Rhodes will preside over the service.
In Indianapolis, the Saint Thomas More Society of Indianapolis, in cooperation with the Archdiocese of Indianapolis and the Indianapolis Bar Association, will be hosting the Red Mass at 5:30 p.m. Oct. 5 at St. John the Evangelist, 126 W. Georgia St. Archbishop Joseph Tobin will preside over the service and Rev. Monsignor Frederick Easton will be the homilist.
Nancy Gargula, U.S. Trustee for Region 10, will be the cantor. The Knights of Columbus Fourth Degree Honor Guard will lead the processional into the historic church.
The mass will be followed by a reception and dinner at the Crown Plaza Hotel. The keynote speaker will be Indiana Supreme Court Chief Justice Loretta Rush. Chief Judge Robyn Moberly of the U.S. Bankruptcy Court for the Southern District of Indiana will be presented with the 2016 Woman for All Seasons Award.
Tickets for the reception and dinner are $60 through Sept. 30 and $65 the day of the event. Reservations can be made by emailing Patrick Olmstead at [email protected].
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