As is the tradition to mark the opening of the judicial year, Louisiana judges gathered this morning for the 70th annual Red Mass at St. Louis Cathedral in Jackson Square.
Red Mass is held annually on the first Monday in October. Archbishop Gregory M. Aymond was the celebrant and the Most Reverend Bishop Robert W. Marshall, Jr., the13th bishop of the Diocese of Alexandria, was the homilist.
Judges, lawyers, officials of all faiths, and the public were invited to attend the Mass.
Louisiana Supreme Court Chief Justice John L. Weimer remarked, “Each year in October, the Louisiana Supreme Court Justices and I join Louisiana judges for blessings directed to those we serve and the challenges they face, for the integrity of the legal profession, and for wisdom and discernment in making decisions.” He continued, “Judges from across the state are in New Orleans for the annual Fall Conference, which is sponsored by the Louisiana Judicial College. In addition to attending the continuing legal education sessions and business meetings of the conference, state judges can also participate in this solemn ceremony, deeply rooted in tradition dating back centuries.”
The Red Mass is sponsored by the St. Thomas More Catholic Lawyers Association. The celebration of Red Mass goes back many centuries in Rome, Paris, and London. In Louisiana, Red Mass was first offered in St. Louis Cathedral on Oct. 5, 1953. The Red Mass has also been celebrated annually in communities throughout Louisiana and in various venues such as California, Pennsylvania, Illinois, Georgia and the District of Columbia.