Members of the Lawyers Guild of the Diocese of Cleveland gathered for the annual Red Mass on Oct. 24 in the Cathedral of St. John the Evangelist, followed by the annual St. Thomas More Award Luncheon, at which Judge Joan Synenberg was honored.
Bishop Edward Malesic celebrated the liturgy, which traditionally marks the beginning of the judicial year. It takes its name from the scarlet robes worn by judges in the past and the red vestments symbolizing the Holy Spirit, which are worn by the clergy.
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The Mass is an opportunity for the legal community to reflect on the responsibilities of upholding justice with integrity. Its roots can be traced to 13th-century Europe. Concelebrants included Father Gary Yanus, diocesan judicial vicar, and other priests who work with the diocesan legal office and tribunal, and Father Gerald Bednar, Lawyers Guild chaplain.
In his homily, Father Yanus said unlike the Roman courts, reconciliation before God is immediate.
“No one is invisible to Jesus. He sees everyone – the leper, the rich, the sinner, the lame, the Samaritan, the woman at the well, prostitutes and their desperation – and he had a word for all … Justice is blind, but the judge presiding before the accused must see and Jesus does,” Father Yanus said, adding God never abandons anyone. He told the congregation that Jesus calls on us to visit the imprisoned and to share the good news of salvation.
At the awards luncheon, Judge Synenberg, a cathedral parishioner, received the St. Thomas More Award in recognition of her years of service to the legal profession as a criminal defense attorney and a judge. She has presided over a mental health developmental disability docket in Cuyahoga County Common Pleas Court for five years, and she created the Pro Bono Collaborative that meets monthly in her courtroom with multiple social services present to assist clients.
In her acceptance remarks, the judge noted that “Jail is the great equalizer … No one is invisible in the eyes of the Lord, as we heard in today’s homily. As a judge, I pray for God’s grace before taking the bench.”
Also at the luncheon, Sophia Persia, a Magnificat High School, and Emmett O’Donnell, a junior at St. Edward High School, received the Martin T. and Tracy Galvin Memorial Scholarship. The $1,000 scholarships are named after Galvin, a past president of the Lawyers Guild, who died a few years ago, and his wife, who died in 2024. Recipients are students attending a Catholic high school in the diocese who have a family member who is a member of the Lawyers Guild or an attorney practicing law in Northeast Ohio.
In addition, Fatima Family Center, a ministry of Catholic Charities, Diocese of Cleveland, was recognized for its service to the community.
Learn more about the Lawyers Guild here.