The Red Mass has once again brought the Brooklyn legal community together

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The Catholic Lawyers Guild and the Columbian Lawyers Association of Brooklyn hosted the annual Red Mass at St. James Church in Brooklyn last Wednesday. Pictured from left: Dominic Famulari, president of the Bay Ridge Bar Association, Hon. Robert Miller, associate judge of the Appellate Division, Second Department, and Gregory Cerchione. Eagle photos by Mario Belluomo

IN THE CITY OF BROOKLYN — The Catholic Lawyers Guild and the Columbian Lawyers Association of Brooklyn continued their tradition of hosting a Red Mass on Wednesday at St. James in the city of Brooklyn, where all the members of the legal community together asked for a special prayer.

That’s why this is a special event in Brooklyn. Not just lawyers and judges, but courthouse and support staff, including members of various faiths.

“This event is about bringing everyone in the legal community together,” said Dominic Famulari, past president of the Catholic Lawyers Guild and current president of the Bay Ridge Lawyers Association.

“It’s a great way for us to start the new season and we get to see members of our community who might not be able to come to monthly meetings.”

The Knights and Ladies of the Holy Sepulcher, wearing their religious robes, as well as the members of the Knights of Columbus and Columbiettes, were invited to join the clergy and the jury, and were also asked to wear their clothes to the event.

The annual Red event, held each year at the Cathedral of St. James in downtown Brooklyn, has returned after the COVID pandemic. Eagle photo by Mario Belluomo

Members of participating organizations – including Betsey Jean-Jacques, president-elect of the Catholic Lawyers Guild, and Dominic Famulari, past president of the Columbian Lawyers Association, have been invited to the pulpit and read the bible verses.

The Red Mass is a Catholic, European tradition that dates back centuries to the 13th Century. It was brought to the United States in 1928 when Cardinal Hayes of New York called the law firm in Manhattan.

The event is held annually at St. James, was founded in August 1823. In 1853, Bishop John Loughlin was appointed as the first bishop. St. James still serves today as the seat of the Bishop of Brooklyn.