October 30, 2008
The 56th annual Red Mass, celebrating the San Antonio legal community and inviting blessings on the judicial year, was held Thursday, Oct. 30 at San Fernando Cathedral.
San Antonio’s Red Mass is organized yearly by St. Mary’s University School of Law, with cooperation from the Catholic Lawyers Guild of San Antonio and representatives from San Antonio legal organizations, the judiciary and the State Legislature, for the entire legal community and is open to the public and people of all faiths.
Archbishop José Gomez was the principal celebrant with the Rev. Warren Brown, O.M.I., professor of theology at Oblate Theological Seminary, delivering the homily and the Hon. Alma Lopez, Chief Justice of the Fourth Court of Appeals, offering reflections on the importance of this occasion to the legal profession.
Red Mass dates back to 1245. The name is derived from the scarlet robes worn by judges and red vestments worn by priests in honor of the Holy Spirit. Red Mass is celebrated throughout the country for the purpose of requesting God’s blessings and guidance on the administration of justice.