The Official Newspaper of the Diocese of Little Rock
Arkansas’ legal community came together Oct. 1 to pray for wisdom and guidance from the Holy Spirit.
Bishop Anthony B. Taylor celebrated the 27th annual Red Mass at Christ the King Church in Little Rock. Last year’s Red Mass was only online because of the COVID-19 pandemic. Normally celebrated at the Cathedral of St. Andrew, it was moved to a larger church to allow more physical distance for attendees.
The Red Mass was livestreamed on the parish’s YouTube channel for those who could not attend in person.
“Since the service you offer us is sometimes very difficult, we have this Mass to ask God to fill you with the seven gifts of the Holy Spirit listed in Isaiah 11:2-3 to enlighten you and to empower you,” Bishop Taylor said in his homily.
The St. Thomas More Society of Arkansas hosts the Mass for the state’s legal community. Judges, lawyers, law school professors and students and government officials come together at the Mass to pray for the Holy Spirit’s guidance in the administration of government and justice.
Shawn Johnson, president of the St. Thomas More Society, presented the St. Thomas More Award posthumously to Tim Boe, a board member and partner at the Rose Law Firm, who died in 2020. His widow, Susan, accepted the award on his behalf.
Fathers Andrew Hart, a canon lawyer, and Peter Le-Thanh Quang concelebrated with Deacon Matthew Glover, chancellor for canonical affairs, assisting. Marjorie Rogers, president of the Pulaski County Bar Association, served as a lector, and the Catholic High School Marine Corps Junior ROTC presented the nation’s colors. The Knights of Columbus Fourth Degree Assembly provided an honor guard for the procession. Attendees asked for the special intercession of Sts. Ives, patron saint of lawyers, and Thomas More, patron saint of statesmen and politicians.
The first recorded Red Mass was celebrated in Paris in 1245. It gets its name from the red vestments traditionally worn to symbolize the tongues of fire the Apostles received from the Holy Spirit at Pentecost (Acts 2:1–4).
The Arkansas chapter of the St. Thomas More Society began in 1999 and held its first Red Mass. Each year the Red Mass coincides with the opening of the U.S. Supreme Court’s term in the first week in October.
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