This year marks the seven hundred eightieth anniversary of a tradition that honors our judicial system, including the courts, the legal profession. It celebrates the beginning of the Court Session calling for blessings on all judges, lawyers and members of the financial profession. The Red Mass tradition began in 1245 C.E. in Paris. It’s called the Red Mass because of the color of the robes worn by the magistrates in that era which marked the beginning of the Court Season.
When the legal system was
established in the United States, the legal profession brought the tradition with them. The first Red Mass in the U.S. was celebrated
in Detroit on September
7, 1877. Serving Lake and
Porter Counties in Indiana,
the Red Mass is sponsored by the Catholic Foundation for Northwest Indiana. This year’s Red Mass will be held
October 15, 2025, beginning at 8 am at Our Lady of Consolation Church in Merrillville with main celebrant
Bishop Robert J. McClory.
Mass is followed by a one-
hour CLE presentation and
catered breakfast that are free to the public.
The judges are invited to
wear their robes and will enter with the Bishop and other Church ministers. The judges and lawyers in attendance also renew their Oath of Office during the Mass.
Bishop McClory, who is both a civil lawyer and a canon lawyer, always provides a lively homily and shares his own observations and spiritual experiences.
In previous years the CLE speakers have included many prestigious presenters, including the late Father David Link, former dean of the University of Notre Dame’s Law School, Probate Judge Jewell Harris, and Circuit Court Judge Marissa J. McDermott.
This year the Catholic Foundation is pleased to host a U.S. Court of Appeals Judge, the Honorable Judge Thomas Kirsch II, the highest level of judge to present at the Northwest Indiana Red Mass.
RSVP via QR code or to [email protected].