The 42nd Annual Red Mass
OCTOBER 23, 2024
5:30 p.m.
Cathedral of Our Lady of the Angels
The St. Thomas More Society of Los Angeles cordially invites you to the 42nd Annual Red Mass on Wednesday, October 23, 2024, at 5:30 pm at the Cathedral of Our Lady of the Angels. A hosted reception will follow.
Archbishop José H. Gomez will be the principal celebrant, and the homilist will be Rev. Greg Boyle, S.J., the Founder of Homeboy Industries and a 2024 Presidential Medal of Freedom recipient. Hon. Carolyn Kuhl, former presiding judge of Los Angeles Superior Court, will be the closing speaker. The newly elected Assistant Presiding Judge of Los Angeles Superior Court, Hon. Ricardo Ocampo, will be the lector. Several other judges and dignitaries are expected to attend. Knights of Columbus, Knights of Peter Claver, Order of Malta and the Equestrian Order of the Holy Sepulchre of Jerusalem are also expected to participate.
We invite you to concelebrate! Please plan to arrive by 5:15 pm with your white alb. Vestments will be provided. We kindly request that you RSVP to Michele Friend at [email protected] if you plan to attend.
First celebrated in Paris in 1245, the Red Mass is a tradition celebrated annually at the opening of the Judicial Year, significantly that of the U.S. Supreme Court each October. The Red Mass received its name from the Celebrant’s vestments in red, and the Lord High Justices’ robes of brilliant scarlet. In Los Angeles, this annual tradition is sponsored by the St. Thomas More Society of Los Angeles, a non-profit association of Catholic legal professionals. In our community, the Red Mass is offered in prayer for judges, lawyers, legislators, and legal professionals of all faiths and traditions. More information can be found at www.stmsla.org