St. John's Seminary to host Red Mass
Legal community invited to attend traditional event

Lawyers, judges and the legal community in Ventura County will gather for the first Red Mass ever held in the area at 5:30 p.m. Tues., Oct. 7 at St. John's Seminary Chapel, 5012 Seminary Road, Camarillo.

Members of the legal community are asked to gather by 5:15 p.m.

A reception in the seminary's courtyard will follow the Mass. Bishop Thomas J. Curry will be the celebrant and Bishop Sylvester D. Ryan the homilist, assisted by Monsignor Craig Cox and other members of the seminary community.

The Red Mass was first celebrated in Paris in 1245 and began in England about 1310 during the reign of Edward I.

The entire bench and bar would attend the Red Mass together at the opening of each term of Court.

The priests and the judges of the high court wore red robes, thus the name Red Mass.

Each year in Washington, D.C., the members of the United States Supreme Court, members of Congress, other government officials, judges and members of the legal profession attend the Red Mass.

To make a reservation, call the seminary Advancement Office at (805) 386-2035 or e-mail advancement@stjohnsem.edu by Oct. 3.