Diocese of Phoenix to Hold 32nd Annual Red Mass

January 2002

Celebrate Catholic Schools January 27 - February 2

(Jan 18 Roman Catholic Diocese of Phoenix) – Catholic elementary and secondary schools nationwide, including the Diocese of Phoenix, will celebrate Catholic Schools Week beginning Sunday, January 27, 2002.

During the week, schools within the Diocese will conduct activities that highlight the many contributions of Catholic Schools and focus on this year’s theme: “Catholic Schools - Where Faith and Knowledge Meet”. Highlights include: special Masses, open houses, teacher/staff appreciation days, poetry and essay contests, field days, and spirit days. In addition, there will be two Diocesan-wide events:

Tuesday, January 29, 2002, Most Reverend Thomas J. O’Brien, Bishop of Phoenix, will celebrate a special Mass at Ss. Simon and Jude Cathedral, 6351 North 27th Avenue in Phoenix, at 10:00 a.m. Attending the Mass will be faculty and student representa-tives from each of the 31 elementary and high schools. The Elizabeth Ann Seton Award will be presented to an individual who has contributed significantly to Catholic education in the Diocese of Phoenix. In addition, those educators celebrating 25 years of service to Catholic Schools will be honored.
Tuesday, January 29, 2002, a Diocesan-wide spelling bee will take place at St. Francis Xavier School, 4715 North Central Avenue in Phoenix, at 7:00 p.m. Each elementary school will send its top two spellers to the spelling bee.

Catholic Schools have been and continue to be extremely successful. The Diocese of Phoenix includes 15 preschools, 27 elementary schools, 4 high schools and 1 private high school with a total enrollment of 14,322 students. Two new elementary schools opened in Fall 2001: St. Timothy’s Catholic Academy in Mesa and St. John Bosco Interparish School in Phoenix. Notre Dame Preparatory is scheduled to open in Scottsdale in Fall 2002 for grades 9 and 10.

Diocese of Phoenix to Hold 32nd Annual Red Mass to mark Opening of Legislative Year on Monday, January 28, 2002

(Jan 15 Roman Catholic Diocese of Phoenix) – The 32nd annual Red Mass, sponsored by the St. Thomas More Society, will be held on Monday, January 28, 2002, at 5:30 p.m. at St. Mary’s Basilica, 231 North Third Street, Phoenix.

Most Reverend Thomas J. O’Brien, Bishop of the Phoenix Diocese, will be the celebrant at the Mass and will lead the congregation in asking God to bless all who administer justice with the strength and wisdom they will need, as they face the difficult decisions that lie ahead in the year to come.

Most Reverend Robert N. Lynch, Bishop of the Diocese of St. Petersburg in Florida, will serve as homilist at the Mass. Pope John Paul II appointed him Bishop on December 5, 1995. The Diocese of St. Petersburg is comprised of over 365,000 Catholics and a territory that incorporates 3,177 square miles including the Counties of Citrus, Hernando, Hillsborough, Pasco, and Pinellas.

The Red Mass is celebrated at the beginning of every legislative year to inspire, guide, and strengthen, with the power of the Holy Spirit, judges, lawyers, public officials, and law faculty of all faiths. All are invited to the Mass, both Catholic and non-Catholic are welcome.

Red is the liturgical color of the Holy Spirit and the Mass is celebrated in honor of the Holy Spirit as the source of wisdom, understanding, counsel, and fortitude. The first celebration of the Red Mass was in the 13th century in London’s Westminster Cathedral. The celebrant, justices, and university professors all wore red. The Mass was first celebrated in the United States in 1928 in New York City, and since that time it has been celebrated annually in almost every diocese in the world.

The St. Thomas More Society, which sponsors the Mass, is an organization of lawyers that encourages its members to perform pro-bono legal work on behalf of Catholic organizations. The group is named after the 15th century English statesman and writer who was canonized in 1935.

The Mass will be followed by a reception at St. Mary’s Basilica Hall.

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