This is the final reminder for our annual Red Mass, which will take place next Wednesday October 6, 2021. We will begin with Mass at 5:15 p.m. at the Cathedral of St. John the Evangelist. Our celebrant will be the Most Rev. Jerome Listecki.
Registration through Eventbrite [link] for the dinner is still open and will remain so until the end of the day on Monday October 4th, however, if you plan to come and have not found a seat at a firm table or obtained a ticket, please register as soon as possible so we have an accurate count for the dinner
Dinner will take place following Mass at the Wisconsin Club, 900 W. Wisconsin Avenue. Shuttle service will be available from the Wisconsin Club to Mass at the Cathedral and back. We are honored to announce that our keynote speaker this year will be Rick Esenberg, the founder, President and General Counsel of the Wisconsin Institute for Law & Liberty. During the dinner, the Society will also present the Faithful Servant award to a very worthy recipient: Retired Magistrate Judge from the U.S. District Court for the Eastern District of Wisconsin, Hon. Patricia J. Gorence.
Tickets for the reception and dinner are $60 for individuals and $35 for students. Once again, individual tickets will be available for purchase this year through Eventbrite. There is a link on the attached invitation and also the full website address for ticket purchases. Table sponsorship opportunities are now available (and encouraged!) at a rate of $650 for a table of eight guests. Please contact our Treasurer Brian Tokarz at bct@mtfn.com for additional table purchase and sponsor recognition information. If you have arranged for a table, please let Brian know who will be at the table so that name tags can be prepared.
If you are a judge and plan to attend the Mass, we would greatly appreciate your being part of the procession of judges that precedes the Mass. Please come a bit earlier than 5:15 PM and bring your robe.
The "Red Mass" historically occurs as the term of court opens and dates back to the thirteenth century when it was celebrated at the Cathedral of Paris and then spread to other European countries. In England the celebrant was vested in red as were the Lord High justices. In the United States, the first Red Mass is believed to have occurred in New York City on October 6, 1928. A difference between the Red Mass and a traditional Mass is that the prayers and blessings are typically focused on the leadership role of those in the legal profession and to invoke divine guidance and strength during the coming term of Court. It is celebrated in honor of the Holy Spirit as the source of wisdom, understanding, counsel and fortitude, gifts which shine forth preeminently in the dispensing of justice in the courtroom as well as in the individual lawyer’ s office. (Credit to the St. Thomas More Society of Santa Clara County for this brief history.)
Please share this invitation with others associated with the legal profession who may be interested in attending the Red Mass and reception. Again, all judges are welcome and encouraged to attend.
We look forward to having you join us for this year's Red Mass.
