Evening star., 1941-01-12
Officials 10 Attend
ColorfuI Red Mass
Catholic u. Today
Supreme Court Justices
And Cabinet Members
To Witness Ceremony

The red mass, solemn yet colorful
ceremony initiated centuries ago in
France by judges and legislators
seeking Divine aid in their delibera-
tions. will be held this morning at
the National Shrine of the Immacu-
late Conception on the Catholic Uni
versity grounds.
High Government officials, repre-
sentatives of the diplomatic corps
and members of Congress will at
tend the ceremony held for the
opening of the courts and Congress.
The mass will start at IL o'clock.
The Very Rev. Robert j. White.
dean of the university school of
law, will be celebrant, with the Rev.
John P. Maher. o. S. A, and the
Rev. John F. Galloway, o. S. A, as
deacon and subdeacon, respectively.
The sermon will be delivered by
the Most Rev. John Joseph NIFTY,
D. D., archbishop of San Francisco.
The Rev. William J. LalIou will be
master of ceremonies and the Rev.
Walter j. Schmitz, S. S., assistant
master of ceremonies.
Reason for the Name.
The term. the red mass" was
adopted in France because the par
ticular petition of the mass sought
the aid of the Holy Spirit, SYM
bolized by the flaming fire of Divine
love and wisdom The vestments of
the priests were red, and the robes
of the justices who attended were
scarlet.
The custom later was adopted in
England and for several centuries
members Of the judiciary and the
bar have joined in the red mass
celebration when the courts open.
In the United States. the tradition
is observed in New York, Illinois,
New Jersey, Pennsylvania and Cali
fornia.
Among those accepting invitations
to the Red Mass we're: Justices
Stone. Murphy. Roberts and Doug
las of the Supreme Court; Post
master General Walker, Attorney
General Jackson, A. A. Berle, As
sistant Secretary of State; Matthew
Mcclure. Assistant Attorney Gen.
eral; John L. Sullivan, Assistant
Secretary of Treasury; Charles /.
Fahy. Assistant Solicitor General;
Francis M. Shea, Assistant Attornev |
General; Grover B. Hill, Assistant |
Secretary of Agriculture; Vincent |
M. Miles, assistant solicitor, Post |
Office Department; John A. Tyson, |
Gerard D. Reilly, solicitor, Depart
ment Of Labor; James L. Fly, chair
man, Federal Communications Com
mission; j. M. johnson, commits /
sioner, Interstate Commerce Com
mission; Joseph E. Davis, chairman,
Inaugural Committee; Robert E.
Freer, commissioner, Federal Trade
Commission; Francis w. Hill, jr.,
president, D. c. Bar Association;
the Rev. Robert D. Workman. chief .
OF chaplains, U. S. N; Robert B. .
Watts, general counsel, National .
Labor Relations Board.
Also Guy T. Helvering, commits .
sioner of internal revenue; J. V. /
Morgan, member Board of Tax Ap-
pears for the District; DR.. c. G.
Abbot, secretary of Smithsonian In
stltutlon; Rear Admiral Ross T. Nc
Intire, Right Rev William B. Arnold.
chief of chaplainS of the Army:
Rear Admiral c. w. Nimitz. and
Edward M. Curran. United States
attorney for the District.
Diplomats to Attend.
Among the members of the diplo-
matte corps to have attended were
the Turkish Ambassador. Mehmet
M. Ertegun; the Minister of Luth-
uania and Mrs. Povilas Zadeikis:
the Minister of Czecho-S -Slovakia and
Nine. Vladimir Hurban: the Minis
ter OF Fire and Mrs. Robert Bren-
nan; the Minister of Honduras and
Sonora de Caceres, and the Charge
d AftalreS ad interim of Hungary,
Stephen de Rothkugel. The Minis
ter OF Finland, Hjalmar Procope.
Will be represented by member of
his staff.
Members of the local Judiciary in
cluoe harold M. stephens and Wiley
of the Court of Appeals,
and Mrs. Rutledge; Daniel w.
ODonoghue. District Court of the
United States for the District of Co.
lunbla, and Mrs. O'Donoghue:
James w. Morris, associate ius-
tice, District Court, and Walter j.
Casey, Police Court.
Senators will be Bilbo, Chavez.
Gerry, Gillette, Hayden, Maloney,
OMahoney, Radcliffe, Thomas of
Utah and LANCER.
Representatives who signif1ed their
of attending were Arnold,
Better. Bender, Blackney, Camp,
Carlson, Chenoweth, Clason, Curtis,
Douglas. DWorshak, Eliot, Fitzpat-
rick, GilchriT, Granger, Harness,
Harris. Hobbs. Hook, Hunter, Jacob
sen. Jenkins. jerks, Johns, Johnson,
Jones and Knutson.
Also Representatives Kopplemann,
Kunkel, Mccormack, Mclaughlin,
Mas. Maciejewski, Martin, Mich
ener, Mundt. Norton, Plauche, Ran
kin, Rogers. Rolph, Schultz, Smith,
Stearns. Stratton, Taber, Tenero-
Uicz. Thill. Traynor. Voorhis, WEIGH,
.;4.;xo4ox, o,J NLTo1fonden