Sherwood District Judge Milas “Butch” Hale and Little Rock District Court Criminal Judge Melanie Martin lead the procession of judges and scholars into the 28th Annual Red Mass at the Cathedral of St. Andrew in Little Rock, Oct. 7. (Chris Price)

Members of the Catholic High School U.S. Marine Corps Junior ROTC presented the nation’s colors before the singing of the national anthem at the 28th Annual Red Mass at the Cathedral of St. Andrew in Little Rock, Oct. 7. (Chris Price)

Members of the Knights of Columbus, Council 16947, based at the Cathedral of St. Andrew, provides an honor guard for Bishop Anthony B. Taylor and the priests and deacons who concelebrated the 28th Annual Red Mass at the Cathedral of St. Andrew in Little Rock, Oct. 7. (Chris Price)

Fathers Joseph de Orbegozo, PHL, rector of the Cathedral of St. Andrew, and Gregory T. Luyet, judicial vicar and St. Thomas More Society chaplin, lead the procession of Bishop Anthony B. Taylor and the priests and deacons who concelebrated the 28th Annual Red Mass into the Cathedral of St. Andrew in Little Rock, Oct. 7. (Chris Price)

Shana Woodard Graves, president of the Pulaski County bar Association, served as lector at the 28th Annual Red Mass at the Cathedral of St. Andrew in Little Rock Oct. 7. (Chris Price)

Deacon Noel “Bud” Baldwin read the Gospel passage at the 28th Annual Red Mass into the Cathedral of St. Andrew in Little Rock Oct. 7. (Chris Price)

Bishop Anthony B. Taylor reacts to laughter from his joke about mudslinging during his homily at the 28th Annual Red Mass into the Cathedral of St. Andrew in Little Rock Oct. 7. (Chris Price)

Chelsea Allman directs the Mount St. Mary Concert Belles, who sang to organist Beau Baldwin’s playing at the 28th Annual Red Mass into the Cathedral of St. Andrew in Little Rock Oct. 7. (Chris Price)

Bishop Anthony B. Taylor accepts the gifts from Pauline Jegley before handing them to Deacon Matt Glover (left), the Diocese of Little Rock’s chancellor for canonical affairs, and Father Joseph de Orbegozo, PHL, rector of the Cathedral of St. Andrew, at the 28th Annual Red Mass into the Cathedral of St. Andrew in Little Rock, Oct. 7. (Chris Price)

Bishop Anthony B. Taylor consecrates the Body and Blood of Christ, as concelebrants Deacon Matthew A. Glover (left), the Diocese of Little Rock’s chancellor for canonical affairs; Deacon Noel “Bud” Baldwin; Father Andrew Hart; Father Stephen Elser; Father Gregory T. Luyet, judicial vicar and St. Thomas More Society chaplin; and Father Joseph de Orbegozo, PHL, rector of the Cathedral of St. Andrew, assist. (Chris Price)

Sherwood District Judge Milas “Butch” Hale, Little Rock District Court Criminal Judge Melanie Martin, Perry County District Court Judge Andy Gill and University of Arkansas at Little Rock William H. Bowen School of Law Professor J. Doug Cortes sing the recessional hymn, “America the Beautiful” at the 28th Annual Red Mass into the Cathedral of St. Andrew in Little Rock, Oct. 7. (Chris Price)

Deacon Jim Goodhart, president of the Saint Thomas More Society of Arkansas, introduces the co-winners of the 2022 St. Thomas More Award, Deacon Noel “Bud” Baldwin and Larry Jegley, prosecuting attorney for the Sixth Judicial District of Arkansas, which serves Pulaski and Perry Counties. (Chris Price)

Red Mass honors Dc. Bud Bryant, prosecutor Larry Jegley

Judges, lawyers, officials gather at the Cathedral of St. Andrew for 28th annual event

Published: October 18, 2022

By Chris Price
Arkansas Catholic Staff

Chris Price

Bishop Anthony B. Taylor presented the 2022 St. Thomas More Award to co-winners Deacon Noel “Bud” Baldwin and Larry Jegley, prosecuting attorney for the Sixth Judicial District of Arkansas, which serves Pulaski and Perry Counties.

Chris Price

The St. Thomas More Society of Arkansas chose to honor not one, but two Arkansas attorneys during the 28th annual Red Mass at the Cathedral of St. Andrew in Little Rock Oct. 7.

Deacon Noel “Bud” Bryant, a family law attorney and member of St. Joseph Church in Pine Bluff, and Larry Jegley, prosecuting attorney for the Sixth Judicial District of Arkansas, which serves Pulaski and Perry counties and a member of Our Lady of the Holy Souls Church in Little Rock, were recognized at the Mass.

Judges, lawyers, law school professors, law students and government officials of all faiths gathered to pray for the Holy Spirit's divine enlightenment on judicial deliberations, guidance in the administration of government and justice and for the intercession of St. Thomas More. The event gets its name from the symbolic color of the tongues of fire the Holy Spirit gave the Apostles at Pentecost and the corresponding vestments worn by the celebrants.

The Red Mass traditionally marks the beginning of the legal year each October.

“It brings to mind the Gospel from this past weekend, in which Jesus spoke about faith, but emphasized doing our duty. I don’t feel like I’ve done any more than what I am called to do. It’s humbling.”

Bryant, who has been a member of the St. Thomas More Society of Arkansas for more than 23 years, said he was “simply humbled” by the recognition.

Jegley was elected prosecuting attorney in 1996 and has handed thousands of criminal prosecutions every year.

“Being a prosecuting attorney is sometimes a thankless and lonely job,” Jegley said. “This represents some affirmation of a lot of the hard decisions that we've made over the years in the prosecuting attorney's office and things that we have done trying to make the community better, but also being fair and just with people who are accused of crime.”

Bishop Anthony B. Taylor concelebrated the Red Mass with Father Andrew Hart, adjutant judicial vicar and judge for the Diocese of Little Rock Tribunal and theological advisor to Arkansas Catholic; Father Stephen Elser, pastor of St. John the Baptist Church in Engelberg, St. Joseph the Worker Church in Corning and St. Paul the Apostle Church in Pocahontas; Father Greg Luyet, judicial vicar and St. Thomas More Society chaplain; and Father Joseph de Orbegozo, rector of the Cathedral of St. Andrew. Assisting on the altar were Bryant and Deacon Matt Glover, a civil lawyer and diocesan chancellor for canonical affairs. Fathers Hart and Luyet and Glover are canon lawyers.

In his homily, Bishop Taylor drew laughs for a story about throwing overripe tomatoes at his brother when they were children but, he said, whatever initial fun it produced was soon replaced by the negative feelings of his actions and the cleanup his brother had to endure. He then equated his tomato-throwing to political mudslinging and encouraged the congregation to think about the repercussions of their actions, how they permeate society at large, and if they are a contributing reason to the rampant division the nation is experiencing.

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