Red Mass

The 30th annual diocesan Red Mass will be celebrated Sept. 30 at 6 p.m. at St. Mary Cathedral in Austin. Father Doug Jeffers, associate pastor of St. John Neumann Parish in Austin, will be the homilist. Red Mass is a Mass of the Holy Spirit celebrated annually at the opening of the judicial year. This 13th century European custom marked the opening of the parliament and received its name from the red color of the vestments worn by the celebrant and the scarlet robes worn by the Lord High Justices. Today, many cities around the U.S. hold the Red Mass annually in celebration of the legal profession.