The Notre Dame Club of Austin, in support of the Diocese of Austin and the St. Thomas More Society, cordially invites you to: The Red Mass
The Notre Dame Club of Austin, in conjunction with the Thomas More Society and the Diocese of Austin, is pleased to invite you to the Diocese of Austin’s Annual Red Mass.
Having its origin in the Middle Ages, the Red Mass (referring to both the red vestments traditionally worn as representative of the Holy Spirit which descended on the Apostles at Pentecost, as well as the scarlet robes worn by royal judges during that time) is celebrated annually for all members of the legal profession, regardless of religious affiliation. First celebrated around 1310, it marked the traditional opening of the judicial year. Through prayerful petition and thanksgiving, the Red Mass requests guidance from the Holy Spirit for all who seek justice, and offers the legal community an opportunity to refect on the God-given power and responsibility of all in the legal profession. In fact, Our Lady’s University celebrates a Red Mass annually at the Basilica, in which the Bishop of Fort Wayne / South Bend typically presides.
The Diocese of Austin will be celebrating a Red Mass on Tuesday, 27 September 2022, at 6.00p at St. Mary’s Cathedral.
Following this year’s celebration, there will be a Dinner Reception at the Austin Club, at which O. Carter Snead, Professor at Notre Dame Law School and Director of the de Nicola Center for Ethics and Culture, will be a Keynote Speaker. Professor Snead is one of the World’s leading experts on bioethics. He is the author of “What It Means To Be Human: The Case For The Body In Public Bioethics.” He was appointed to the Pontifical Academy for Life, the principal bioethics advisory body to Pope Francis, and served as General Counsel to the U.S. President’s Counsel on Bio-Ethics. Most recently, he co-authored an amicus curiae brief in Dobbs v. Jackson Women’s Health Organization et al.
The Club of Austin would love to make its presence felt at the Dinner Reception in support of Professor Snead. Tickets for the Dinner Reception are $50 each, and can be purchased here. If we are able to get 10 Club Members to attend, the Club will contribute $1000 to upgrade all of us to a Sustainer Sponsor, allowing all of us to be seated at the same table. Accordingly, if you decide to go to the Dinner Reception, please respond to [email protected] with the names of the attendees, or if you have any questions.