Bishop Edward Malesic and Father Don Oleksiak, vicar general, traveled to Toledo on Oct. 12 for the 19th annual Diocese of Toledo Red Mass at Our Lady, Queen of the Most Holy Rosary Cathedral.
Toledo Bishop Daniel Thomas invited Bishop Malesic to celebrate the liturgy and deliver the homily. Bishop Thomas previously served several months as apostolic administrator for the Diocese of Cleveland after the late Bishop Richard Lennon’s retirement. He and several other priests, including Father Oleksiak, were concelebrants.
(See photo gallery above.)
The Red Mass is offered for judges, lawyers (including canon lawyers), law students, government officials and others affiliated with the legal community to invoke God’s blessing and the guidance of the Holy Spirit in their work as stewards of justice. Bishop Malesic is a canon lawyer. The liturgy gets its name from the red vestments worn by the clergy.
The Red Mass traces its roots to the 13th century or earlier, when it marked the official opening of the term of court for most European countries. It has been a tradition in the United States for nearly a century.
The event was presented by the Toledo Diocese’s St. Thomas More Society. After Mass, Bishop Thomas invited society members and their families to his residence for a light brunch. About 50 families attended the liturgy.
Bishop Malesic will celebrate the Diocese of Cleveland’s Red Mass, which is presented by the Lawyers Guild, in the Cathedral of St. John the Evangelist on Oct. 24.
Photos courtesy of the Diocese of Toledo.