At the invitation of the St. Thomas More Society, the Most Reverend Mitchell T. Rozanski, Bishop of the Roman Catholic Diocese of Springfield, will celebrate a “Red Mass” on Sunday, October 6, 2019 at 10:00am at Saint Michael’s Cathedral, 260 State Street, Springfield, Mass.
All are welcome to attend the Red Mass on October 6, 2019, at 10:00am, particularly all persons involved in the administration of law and justice in the Western Massachusetts community. A brunch will follow at 11:30am at the Log Cabin. The event is open to people of all faiths.
The St. Thomas More Society is made up of Catholic lawyers, paralegals, judges, clerks, law enforcement agents, and those committed to the administration of justice throughout Western Massachusetts. The director of the Society is Springfield Attorney, Michael G. McDonough, a partner at the law firm of Egan, Flanagan and Cohen
“This year we are proud to celebrate five extraordinary individuals who have demonstrated an unmistakable commitment to their faith, the justice system, and their community,” McDonough said. The five 2019 Red Mass honorees are Bruce E. Devlin, Esq., Ellen W. Freyman, Esq., Patrick J. Markey, Esq., Deacon / Officer Angel Perez, and Benjamin D. Simanski, Esq.
The five 2019 Red Mass honorees are: Bruce E. Devlin, Esq., Ellen W. Freyman, Esq., Patrick J. Markey, Esq., Deacon / Officer Angel Perez, and Benjamin D. Simanski, Esq.
This will be the St. Thomas More Society’s Eighteenth Annual Red Mass and Brunch. Each year, the Society honors members of the legal community who have distinguished themselves by acts of public service and commitment to the law. The honor is not limited only to Catholics. Any person who has demonstrated a commitment to their respective faith and the administration of justice in the community is eligible to receive the award.
At this year’s Red Mass, Hampden County Bar Association President Kathleen Cavanaugh, Esq. and Northwestern District Attorney David E. Sullivan, Esq., have volunteered to serve as lectors for the First and Second Reading. Assistant District Attorney (Hampden County) Kelsey A. Lecca. Esq. will read the Prayers of the Faithful.
What is the Red Mass?
The “Red Mass” is a historical tradition within the Catholic Church invoking the blessing and guidance of the Holy Spirit upon the courts, dating back to the Thirteenth Century when it officially opened the term of the court for most European countries.
According to the St. Thomas More Society, this important historic tradition was introduced in the U.S. in 1928 in the Church of St. Andrew, located in New York City. The Red Mass is currently celebrated in dioceses throughout the United States to invoke God’s blessing upon the members of the bench, bar, legislature, law enforcement, governmental agencies, and all protectors and administrators of the law.
