Auxiliary Bishop Michael Woost will celebrate the annual Red Mass for members of the legal profession at 10:30 a.m. Oct. 6 in the Cathedral of St. John the Evangelist in downtown Cleveland. Once again, the Lawyers Guild of the Catholic Diocese of Cleveland will host the event.
After Mass, there will be a luncheon at the Cleveland Marriott Downtown at Key Center, where the St. Thomas More Award will be presented to Cuyahoga County Common Pleas Court Judge Brendan Sheehan, administrative and presiding judge of the court. Sheehan will be recognized for his devotion to his Catholic faith, his commitment to his family and his ongoing efforts to provide justice throughout the legal system while promoting excellence in the legal profession.
The Lawyers Guild also will present a special recognition award to Catholic Charities Migration and Refugee Services for its work and commitment to refugees who have been evacuated from their country. The agency also provides to help the refugees and their families as they resettle throughout Northeast Ohio.
In addition, the 2023 Martin T. Galvin Scholarship will be presented to Benjamin Thomas, a sophomore at Padua Franciscan High School in Parma. He is a member of the engineering and business MyTrack, he is a Christian Services volunteer, has earned honor roll status and he enjoys playing golf, basketball and baseball. Benjamin and his family are members of St. Anthony of Padua Parish in Parma.
The scholarship was established in 2018 by the Lawyers Guild with support from the Reminger Foundation. It is named in honor of Galvin, an attorney with the Reminger law firm, who died after a battle with cancer.
For tickets to the luncheon, contact Kristen Craig at kcraig@dioceseofcleveland.org or call 216-696-6535, Ext. 4440.
The historic Red Mass originated in the Cathedral of Paris in 1245 to invoke the guidance of the Holy Spirit on the judges of the ecclesiastical courts. Traditionally, it coincides with the beginning of the fall session of the Supreme Court of the United States.
The term Red Mass refers to the red vestments worn by the priests and red robes worn by judges. The color red long has been associated with the Holy Spirit reminiscent of the tongues of fire that descended on Pentecost.
The Red Mass was introduced to the United States in 1928 at St. Andrew’s Church in New York Cit