Media Advisory: Opening of Supreme Court Term to be Marked with Red Mass on October 4
| FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE: September 29, 2026 |
CONTACT: Georgina Wilkinson 301-221-6226 [email protected] Sean Caine: 443-857-4372 [email protected] [email protected] |
Opening of Supreme Court Term to be Marked with Red Mass on October 4
Annual Mass to Pray for God’s Guidance for Judges, Attorneys, Government and Diplomatic Officials
WASHINGTON, D.C. – The Roman Catholic Archdiocese of Washington and the John Carroll Society will host the 74th annual Red Mass on Sunday, October 4, offering prayers for God’s guidance and blessing for those who serve in the nation’s legal and justice systems. The Mass will take place the day before the opening of the U.S. Supreme Court’s new term.
Cardinal Robert McElroy, Archbishop of Washington, will be the principal celebrant. Archbishop Timothy P. Broglio, J.C.D., Archbishop of the Military Services USA, will give the homily. The Red Mass is a centuries-old tradition named for the red vestments worn by the celebrants and the color of fire, a symbol of the Holy Spirit. The Mass seeks God’s blessing for justices, judges, diplomats, attorneys, government officials, and others who serve the public..
74th Annual Red Mass
Sunday, October 4, 2026
8:45 a.m. ET Pre-Mass Ceremony
9 a.m. ET
The Cathedral of St. Matthew the Apostle
1725 Rhode Island Avenue N.W.
Washington, D.C. 20036
Livestream link
(Limited seating for credentialed journalists will be available inside by contacting the archdiocese to RSVP. Journalists inside the cathedral will be permitted to take notes, but recording or photography of any kind will not be permitted. The livestream linked above may be used for reporting purposes.)
Following the Mass, the John Carroll Society will host a brunch at the Capitol Hilton and present its Pro Bono Legal Awards to legal professionals who provide volunteer services through the Catholic Charities legal network.
The Red Mass and Pro Bono Legal Awards are sponsored annually by the John Carroll Society, a Washington-area organization that provides spiritual, intellectual, charitable and social opportunities for Catholic professionals in service to the Archbishop of Washington.
For more information about The John Carroll Society, visit johncarrollsociety.org.
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The Roman Catholic Archdiocese of Washington includes 671,000 Catholics in 140 parishes and nine missions, with 90 Catholic schools in the District of Columbia and in the five surrounding Maryland counties of St. Mary’s, Charles, Calvert, Prince George’s and Montgomery.