The Red Mass

By Sr. Lois Paha

Most Reverend Edward J. Weisenburger will celebrate the annual Red Mass on Wednesday  October 12, 2022 at 5:30 p.m. at St. Augustine Cathedral. This annual tradition of holding a Mass for judges, attorneys, law school professors, and others working in the legal profession, dates to the opening of parliament in 13th century England. During the Mass, we pray for guidance from the Holy Spirit for all who seek justice, and we focus on the God-given power and responsibility of all those working in the legal profession. The event is celebrated in conjunction with the St. Thomas More Society of Southern Arizona and the Catholic Foundation.

In recent years, we have recognized someone from the local legal profession and law enforcement to receive the St. Thomas More Society recognition. This year, Christopher Straub, Esq. will be honored posthumously. Each year the Society awards a scholarship in honor of the memory of the Honorable John M. Roll. All are welcome to join us for this celebration!   

The celebration of the Mass of the Holy Spirit is rich in tradition. The traditional name of “The Red Mass” is derived from the color of the vestments worn by priests. Red is the liturgical color for the Holy Spirit, a reminder of the fire that is a symbol of God’s Holy Spirit. Also, attending judges in centuries past wore robes of bright scarlet, providing another connection of the Mass to those who serve people in the names of justice and governance.   

The St. Thomas More Society of Southern Arizona initiated the celebration of this Mass honoring the judicial community in the Diocese of Tucson more than two decades ago. In 2014, the tradition of honoring first responders was added to this celebration. This tradition dates to 1934 in the United States when the first Mass was celebrated at St. Patrick’s Catholic Church in Washington, D.C.   

The mission of the St. Thomas More Society of Southern Arizona is to provide a structure for lawyers, judicial officers, and law students of Southern Arizona to foster fellowship and continued ethical formation in the spirit of St. Thomas More in support of the Catholic Church and the Roman Catholic Diocese of Tucson.   

The custom of honoring an outstanding member of both communities is part of the celebration each year. Up to now, we have honored seventeen members of the judicial community and nine members of the first responder community. The Board of Directors of the St. Thomas More Society has adopted the following criteria for the St. Thomas More Society Award. The honoree should have exemplified the virtues possessed by St. Thomas More: integrity, courage, scholarship, commitment to the Church, prayerfulness, wit. He or she should have participated actively in legal or governmental pursuits for a significant period of time, seeking justice and endeavoring to improve society, despite any personal consequences. The honoree should have been highly regarded in legal, governmental, and church communities. He or she must have been known for acting ethically, and seeking justice and the truth.

This year we have one honoree. Christopher L. Straub, Esq. served the Judicial community for almost four decades before his death in 2021. He was an active Catholic and member of the St. Thomas More Society of Southern Arizona. He received his bachelor’s degree from the University of Arizona in 1979 and went on the University of Arizona School of Law graduating in 1982. Christopher was very active in the University of Arizona St. Thomas More Catholic Newman Center while in college and law school. It was at the Newman Center where he met his wife, Debbie. They were married for thirty-seven years. After law school, Christopher worked as a City Prosecutor for the City of Tucson for several years before starting work at the Pima County Attorney’s office in the Civil Division where he continued to work until his death. He served as Chief of the Civil Division from 2006 to 2015. During his time at the Pima County Attorney’s Office, he served as advisor to the Board of Supervisors, Public Records Unit Supervisor, Land Use and Environmental Law Unit Supervisor, and was a member of the Ethics Committee. Christopher dedicated his professional life to public service. In 2009 he was honored with the State Bar of Arizona’s Distinguished Public Lawyer Award. He also worked as a part-time adjunct professor teaching Environmental Law at the University of Arizona. Christopher and Debbie were active members of Corpus Christi Catholic Church in Tucson for more than 20 years. He was always eager to attend classes and retreats at the parish, looking for ways to grow in faith and spirituality and apply what he learned to his daily life. Christopher passed away on September 29, 2021. He was a friend to many and will be remembered for his integrity, kindness, dedication, scholarship, and spirituality.  
  
In 2011, the St. Thomas More Society established the Honorable John Roll Scholarship Endowment with the Catholic Foundation for the Diocese of Tucson. This endowment is to be used to grant scholarships to University of Arizona Law students who have demonstrated the virtues lived by Chief U.S. District Court Judge John Roll. He embodied the virtues of commitment to the Church, scholarship, integrity, and courage during his life. District Court Judge John Roll received the annual St. Thomas More Society award posthumously in 2011 after dying tragically after the January 8th shooting in Tucson.

Prayer to St. Thomas More, Patron of Statesmen, Politicians, Judges and Lawyers 

Let us pray: O Glorious St. Thomas More, Patron of Statesmen, Politicians, Judges and Lawyers, your life of prayer and penance and your zeal for justice, integrity and firm principle in public and family life led you to the path of martyrdom and sainthood. Intercede for our Statesmen, Politicians, Judges and Lawyers, that they may be courageous and effective in their defense and promotion of the sanctity of human life, the foundation of all other human rights. We ask this through Christ our Lord. Amen. 

Prayer for First Responders 

Lord of the Highest Heavens, let Your light shine over all first responders. Guide their every move and help them will all decisions. Allow them to always remain alert and help them to stay motivated in their career. Allow them to feel appreciated and remind us, as citizens of this country, to display love, kindness, and appreciation for each one of them. Provide them with protection from danger and ease their fears. We ask this through Christ our Lord. Amen.