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Bishop Scharfenberger To Celebrate Traditional Red Mass For Judges, Lawyers October 17 At Historic St. Mary’s Church In Albany

October 13, 2017

Bishop Edward B. Scharfenberger will celebrate the traditional Red Mass on Tuesday, October 17, at 9 a.m. at Historic St. Mary’s Church, 10 Lodge St., Albany, to mark the opening of the fall term of the U.S. Supreme Court. Judges and lawyers of all faiths are invited to attend.

The Red Mass, which originated in France and England in the Middle Ages, became a tradition in the United States in 1928. The Mass invokes the blessing of the Holy Spirit on those working in the legal system. The name of the Mass comes from the red vestments worn by clergy and the scarlet robes worn by judges in 13th-century England.

Bishop Scharfenberger not only holds a Licentiate in Canon Law from The Catholic University of America but a Juris Doctor of Law degree from Fordham University. He was admitted to the New York State Bar in 1991.