More than 600 paralegals, lawyers and judges filled the Cathedral of Our Lady of the Angels Sept. 27 for the 24th annual archdiocesan Red Mass, celebrated to invoke divine guidance and strength during the upcoming court term.
A colorful honor guard of papal orders, Loyola Law School faculty, judges from federal, state and local courts, members of the diplomatic corps as well as city and county officials dressed in white, black and red robes processed into the late afternoon weekday liturgy.
"We ask the outpouring of the Holy Spirit upon our legal system and all of you," Cardinal Roger Mahony said from the altar, standing alongside Our Lady of the Angels Auxiliary Bishop Edward Clark and a dozen other priests.
Msgr. Lloyd Torgerson delivered the homily, focusing on the "nobility" of the demanding legal profession and how members must strive to maintain their integrity throughout often long careers on the bench or before the bar.
"I know that there are a lot of stories and jokes about the profession of law, but it seems to me at the heart and center of this day, and of your profession, is a nobility," said the pastor of St. Monica Church, Santa Monica. "It is a noble profession to be a judge, to be a lawyer, to be an advocate --- to be someone of law."
However, Msgr. Torgerson added, the profession's high status is not the result of prestigious titles or flowing robes or any amount of money. The heart of its nobility comes from something deeper and more profound.
"The nobility of your profession, it seems to me, is that you have the opportunity to meet people just as Scripture says today. To go out and proclaim the message that is given to us of the good news, especially to people in the most difficult moments of their lives.
"Whether you're in contract or civil or criminal or whatever law it is, you're dealing with people at the most difficult moment of their lives," he stressed. "You know that every day that you wake up you will make some difference in the lives of the people you touch."
The veteran pastor, however, cautioned that such nobility must be nurtured and nourished or it will wither and die. He spoke of a talk by the Dalai Lama he recently heard where the exiled religious leader stressed the need for a period of daily silence to maintain compassion and tolerance.
Msgr. Torgerson also talked about how leaders in every profession, including law, must "live in the reality of the moment" but also must find a safe sanctuary.
"Leaders need a place where they can go to get back in touch with the worst of their lives, and the worse of their work," he said. "I'm not necessarily talking about a physical place. I'm talking about a personal sanctuary --- daily moments that function as sanctuary.
"We must have something that anchors us," he said, before asking, "What about a little pro bono work for our health? Taking the time to restore and to renew, so that our lives will keep the nobility of the call."
At a reception later in the upstairs Cathedral Conference Center, at least two lawyers agreed on two things --- the nobility of their profession and that the Red Mass renewed their commitment to their often-maligned profession.
"It's inspiring and reminds us of things we should be doing and keeping in mind," said Joette Gonzalez, an in-house counsel at Fireman's Fund Insurance Company.
The civil litigation attorney, who has been practicing law for a dozen years, noted that, as in any job, lawyering has its ups and downs.
"I think you make it the profession that it is," she said of the homily. "I tend to be an optimistic person, so I look at the profession optimistically, and I'd like to think that all of my fellow lawyers are noble. But I know that there's probably bad lawyers, just like there's bad folks in any kind of profession. But it's a profession that I chose and I like."
Douglas C. Purdy has been a lawyer for 37 years and on the Red Mass advisory committee for the last 10. He does commercial litigation with the downtown firm of Morris, Polich & Purdy.
"I liked [Msgr. Torgerson's] pleas for sanctuary," he said. "We all need that. That struck home. It's a hard profession. If you enjoy it, if you enjoy law, I recommend it highly. If all you're looking for is a lot of money, then it's not the thing to do."
The yearly Red Mass energizes Purdy and adds another dimension to his work.
"It's difficult to find time to bring a spiritual quality to our lives," he said. "And it's just nice to be able to bring lawyers together who ordinarily wouldn't get together. With our Catholic commonality, it's just very important I think that we find time to do this." |