One at Cathedral, Springfield; one at St. Peter Church, Quincy
Two Red Masses will be celebrated in the Diocese of Springfield in Illinois in the upcoming few weeks: one at the Cathedral of the Immaculate Conception in Springfield and another at St. Peter Church in Quincy.
The Red Mass is a historical tradition within the Catholic Church dating back to the 13th century when it officially opened the term of the court in most European countries. The celebrants — government officials, lawyers and judges — would proceed into a church clothed in red vestments or red garments, signifying the fire of the Holy Spirit's guidance for all who pursue justice in their daily lives.
Today the Red Mass is celebrated in dioceses throughout the United States to ask for God's blessing upon the members of the legislature, attorneys and others who uphold the law and pursue justice in their daily lives.
"In 1997, the Honorable Richard Scholz was instrumental in getting the custom started in Quincy," said Father Roy Bauer, who was pastor of St. Peter from 1985 until he retired in 2004. "The Red Mass is for lawyers, judges, legislators, paralegals, law professors and their students and for anyone else who wants to attend," he said.
Bishop Thomas John Paprocki, who is both a civil lawyer and a canon lawyer, offered the first Red Mass in Springfield in 2012.
On Sunday, Sept. 28 the 18th annual Quincy Red Mass will be held at 9:30 a.m. at St. Peter Church, at 25th and Main Street. Following Communion at that Mass, attorney Amy Maher, program director at Catholic Charities Legal Services, will speak about legal services for the indigent that are offered by Catholic Charities in the Diocese of Springfield in Illinois.
On Sunday, Oct. 19, Bishop Paprocki and the Saint Thomas More Lawyers Guild of Springfield in Illinois invite people to the 10 a.m. Red Mass at the Cathedral, at the corner of Sixth Street and Lawrence Avenue to pray and to ask for blessings and guidance in the upcoming year. Bishop Paprocki will celebrate the Mass and judges are invited to be part of the entrance procession and attend the Mass wearing their judicial robes.
During a luncheon in the Cathedral Atrium after the Oct. 19 Mass, retired Judge John Mehlick will give a talk entitled "Connecting the Practice of Law with the Practice of Faith" and Bishop Paprocki will address the group.
The cost for attending the luncheon at Cathedral is $20 per person. Those who wish to attend the luncheon should RSVP by Oct. 7 by calling (217) 522-3342 or emailing .