Ninth Annual Red Mass Oct. 8

Amarillo—Bishop Patrick J. Zurek will be the principal celebrant and homilist at the ninth annual Red Mass Tuesday, Oct. 8 at 6:30pm at St. Mary’s Cathedral, 1200 South Washington.
 
Douglas S. Lang, a former justice of the Fifth District Court of Appeals in Texas, and now Of Counsel for the Dallas office of Doresy & Whitney LLP will be the keynote speaker. The theme of Justice Lang’s presentation will be Sin, Prayer, and Catholic Lawyers—The Conflict of Faith and Professional Rules.
 
A reception with heavy hors d’oeuvres and cocktails will follow in the Monsignor Smyer Reception Room. Judges, lawyers, public officials, law faculty members and the community are invited to the Mass and reception.
 
Justice Lang served for over 16 years on the Fifth District Court of Appeals in Dallas.  While on the Court, Justice Lang authored more than 2,100 opinions and participated in more than 6,100 case decisions. During that same period, he served for six years as a member of the Texas Multi-District Litigation Panel and as Chair of the Texas Commission on Judicial Conduct. Prior to his judicial service, Justice Lang was a litigation partner at the Texas firm Gardere Wynne Sewell LLP (now Foley Gardere). He is an active member of the St. Thomas More Society in Dallas.
 
The history of the Red Mass dates back to 13th century England during the reign of King Edward I, according to Brad Howard, a parishioner at St. Thomas the Apostle Church and shareholder in the law firm of Brown and Fortunato in Amarillo.
 
“The Mass was celebrated at Westminster Abbey and served as the official opening of the judicial year,” he said. “It received its name from the fact that the celebrants wore red vestments, and the Lord High Justices were robed in brilliant scarlet.  
 
“The Red Mass was first celebrated in the United States in 1928 and is now observed in many cities throughout our country. The Red Mass promotes the unity of the judiciary and the legal profession.” 
 
The Red Mass is celebrated in honor of the Holy Spirit as the source of wisdom, understanding, counsel and fortitude. The Mass is open to anyone with a concern for justice, according to Howard.
 
For additional information about the Red Mass, please contact Brad Howard at 345-6310.