Florida Council of Catholic Women/Province of Miami at P. O. Box 1811, Labelle, FL 33975 US - HISTORY OF THE RED MASS

The Red Mass is an adaption of the Church’s age-old expression of dependence on God, to the peculiar needs and institutions of the Courts and the Law. In it we call upon God the Holy Spirit, the Third Person of the Holy Trinity, to grant light, inspiration and guidance to all those serving in the Legislative, Executive and Judicial branches of government. The custom of a special Mass for the Bench and Bar arose principally in England, France and Italy in the early 13th century. The first recorded Red Mass was said in 1245 in Paris, France. For many centuries, the Red Mass was said in the chapel of the Order of Advocates, La Sainte Chapelle, which was built by King Louis IX of France, who was canonized as St. Louis. In certain localities in France, the Red Mass was celebrated in honor of St. Ives, the patron saint of lawyers, who was born in Brittany in 1253 and cannonized in 1347. The custom ended in 1904 when the French Parliament, as part of the trend towards secularism, prohibited the celebration of the Red Mass. In England, the tradition of the Red Mass began about 1300 during the reign of Edward the First. The Entire Bench and Bar attended the Red Mass together at the opening of each term of Court, the Feast of St. Hillary (January 11th), Easter, Trinity, and St. Michael’s (September 29th). Since the priest-celebrant wore red vestments, the judges of the High Court of Edward I’s time, who were all doctors of the law, conformed to ecclesiastical traditioni and wore red robes. Therefore, the celebration became popularly known as the Red Mass. Many scholars today maintain that the name has a deeper origin. The liturgical red signifies the willingness to defend the truth inspired by the Holy Spirit, even at the cost of shedding one’s blood. Since the mass asks the Holy spirit to keep lawyers and judges true to the truth of justice, the devotion is call the Red Mass. In Florida, the Catholic Bishops continue the Red Mass tradition, inviting the people who serve in the Executive, Legislative and Judicial branches of government to join them in the prayer that the Spirit of God will guide and direct them in their service to the people of Florida.

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