Bishop to celebrate Red Mass on Jan. 8

Bishop Edward B. Scharfenberger will celebrate the traditional Red Mass on Friday, Jan. 8, at 12:15 p.m., at the Cathedral of the Immaculate Conception in Albany. Legal professionals of all faiths are invited to attend the Mass, which is sponsored by the Catholic Lawyers Guild of the Diocese of Albany.

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 all 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.