The Archdiocese of Washington holds its 74th annual Red Mass today to pray for judges, lawyers and public officials before the Supreme Court term.
A legal tradition enters year 74
The Archdiocese of Washington is holding its 74th annual Red Mass at the Cathedral of St. Matthew the Apostle on Sunday, one day before the Supreme Court opens its new term. Cardinal Robert McElroy is the principal celebrant, and Archbishop Timothy Broglio of the U.S. military archdiocese is scheduled to deliver the homily.
Why it is called red
The name comes from the red vestments worn by clergy and the color’s association with the Holy Spirit. The tradition reaches back centuries and asks for guidance for judges, attorneys, diplomats and government officials. It is a worship service, not an official Supreme Court event, even if the calendar placement makes the symbolism arrive wearing a name tag.
Church and courthouse meet carefully
Public officials may attend in their personal capacities, and similar services are held in other cities. The gathering illustrates the long relationship between religion and law while also raising familiar questions about how visibly public power should mingle with one faith tradition. Attendance does not decide a case, and absence is not a judicial opinion.
The term is already loaded
The court’s docket includes disputes over climate litigation, guns, immigration, voting and government funding for religious education. Those cases will be decided through briefs, arguments and votes—not homilies. Still, religious liberty is itself a major subject before the court, making this year’s timing especially resonant.
Prayer, awards and public service
After Mass, the John Carroll Society will recognize lawyers who provide pro bono work through Catholic Charities. That practical component is easy to overlook amid constitutional debate: whatever one thinks of ceremonial proximity to power, free legal help is actual work performed for people who need it.
Sources: Original reporting and source context.
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