News Article

The Gonzaga University School of Law cordially invites all members of the area’s legal community, their families and the public to the 2006 Red Mass for the Legal Profession at St. Aloysius Church (330 E. Boone Ave.), beginning at 5:30 p.m., Tuesday, Sept. 12.

Gonzaga University President Rev. Robert J. Spitzer, S.J., will celebrate the Mass. A reflection will be delivered by the Hon. Edward Leavy, a judge on the 9th U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals. A reception will follow at Cataldo Hall at GU from 6:30-8 p.m.

Following the liturgy, Gonzaga will present the 2006 Distinguished Judicial Service Award to the Hon. Cynthia Imbrogno, U.S. Magistrate Judge for the Eastern District of Washington, and a 1979 Gonzaga University School of Law alumna.

The Gonzaga University Choir, under the direction of Andrea Dawson, will provide music for the Mass along with Va Lena Curran, a 1958 GU School of Law alumna, who will serve as cantor.

The Red Mass is celebrated annually in many cities across the nation and the world. It is an occasion of prayerful petition and thanksgiving for all members of the legal profession, regardless of religious affiliation.

The term “Red Mass” dates back to 14th century England, when priests and judges wore robes in the color of ecclesiastical seasons and events.

The Red Mass was held in Westminster Abbey to celebrate the beginning of Michaelmas, or fall term of the King’s Bench. The gathering was an occasion of pageantry and solemnity as judges, barristers, and members of parliament invoked God’s blessing and guidance for themselves and their profession.

For more information, call the Gonzaga Law School alumni office at (509) 323-3605.