CHARLOTTE — Catholics working in the legal profession in Charlotte gathered for the 14th annual Red Mass at St. Patrick Cathedral Oct. 13, celebrating their faith and the example of their patron, St. Thomas More.
The Red Mass is celebrated throughout the United States traditionally in conjunction with the opening session of the U.S. Supreme Court, giving members of the legal community the opportunity to reflect on the God-given responsibilities of their profession.
The Mass in Charlotte was celebrated by Benedictine Abbot Placid Solari of Belmont Abbey.
In his homily, Abbot Placid encouraged members of the St. Thomas More Society and others present to pray to the Holy Spirit for guidance in “the difficult and very important work” they do. He urged them to seek charity, justice, truth and wisdom, and to conform their lives, choices and actions to the will of God.
Abbot Placid quoted a portion of the Gospel reading from John 15:18-21, 26-27: “If the world hates you, realize that it hated me first. If you belonged to the world, the world would love its own; but because you do not belong to the world, and I have chosen you out of the world, the world hates you.” Then he continued, “In ways many of us never could imagine, these words are taking on a new reality in our lives today.”
But, he emphasized, “We have been sent to this time, to this place, to bear witness” to the Gospel, and though it is difficult to witness these days to the faith in the public sphere, that very difficulty vindicates the truth of John’s Gospel. The faithful must invoke the Holy Spirit “to guide us to all truth,” he said.
After the Mass, St. Thomas More Society members honored Joseph Pearce, a Catholic author noted for his biographies of Christian literary figures. Pearce also serves as director of the Center for Faith and Culture at Aquinas College in Nashville, Tenn., and edits the St. Austin Review.
— Photos by Patricia L. Guilfoyle | Catholic News Herald
CHARLOTTE — Parishioners across the Diocese of Charlotte will have the opportunity to participate in a special collection to benefit victims of Hurricane Matthew, which devastated several countries in the Caribbean and communities throughout the southeastern United States, including eastern North Carolina.
A memo sent to all parishes by the diocesan Chancery has encouraged a second collection to be taken up at Masses the weekends of Oct. 29-30 or Nov. 12-13.
The funds will be used to support disaster recovery efforts. One-third of the funds collected will be forwarded to the Diocese of Raleigh to be used by their local Catholic Charities for both immediate relief and long-term assistance to victims of the hurricane in the eastern half of North Carolina.
The balance of the funds will support the efforts of Catholic Relief Services and Catholic Charities USA in providing immediate humanitarian aid and long-term support to communities suffering widespread destruction, and to the U.S. Conference of Catholic Bishops for the pastoral and reconstruction needs of the Church in the Caribbean and the U.S.
To donate, place your contributions in the specified collection at your parish, making checks payable to your parish and clearly marking the envelope for “Hurricane Matthew Disaster Relief.”