MERRILLVILLE – Northwest Indiana attorneys and financiers will get a rare peek behind the bench at this year’s Red Mass, planned by the Diocese of Gary, scheduled for 8 a.m. on Wednesday, Oct. 15, at Our Lady Queen of Martyrs, 8303 Taft St.
That’s because the guest speaker at the catered breakfast is the Honorable Judge Thomas Kirsch II of the Seventh Circuit U.S. Court of Appeals in Chicago, “the highest level of judge to present at the diocese’s Red Mass,” according to Judy Holicky, coordinator of stewardship and development.
The topic of the keynote address is “The Judicial Decision-making Process and the Importance of an Independent Judiciary.”
“He is going to discuss the federal appellate process from the first judgement in U.S. District Court through the final decision in the U.S. Court of Appeals,” said attorney Gary Bonk, who secured the judge as the Red Mass speaker. “The only level beyond the appeals court is the U.S. Supreme Court.
“I was happy to get Judge Kirsch as our guest speaker; his talk should be invaluable to attorneys,” said Bonk. “The judge plans to address effective brief writing and oral advocacy and talk about how judges prepare for oral arguments and make their decisions.”
Judge Kirsch, who grew up in Munster and followed in his father’s footsteps as an attorney, was nominated by President Donald Trump and confirmed by the U.S. Senate with bipartisan support in 2020. Prior to becoming a Circuit Judge, Judge Kirsch served as U.S. Attorney for the Northern District of Indiana, again nominated by President Trump and confirmed by the Senate with unanimous support in 2017.
A former partner at Winston & Strawn LLP, he litigated commercial and criminal matters in trial and appellate courts across the U.S., conducted corporate internal investigations, and handled regulatory matters before numerous federal and state agencies.
Before joining Winston & Strawn, Judge Kirsch served as an Assistant U.S. Attorney in the Northern District of Indiana, focusing on white collar investigations and prosecutions, including the prosecution of numerous elected and appointed public officials. While on detail from the U.S. Attorney’s Office, Judge Kirsch served as counsel to the Assistant Attorney General at the U.S. Department of Justice Office of Legal Policy in Washington, D.C., where he assisted in developing federal legislative and policy proposals in corporate crime, violent crime, and counterterrorism.
Judge Kirsch served as a law clerk to the Honorable John D. Tinder in the Southern District of Indiana after receiving a bachelor of arts in Economics and Political Science from Indiana University and a law degree from Harvard Law School. He is a Fellow of the American College of Trial Lawyers and is a lecturer at the University of Chicago Law School
“Attorneys who attend Judge Kirsch’s presentation can receive one hour of CLC (continuing education) credit,” said Holicky. “Forms will be available for them to complete and will be sent in by the diocese.”
The main celebrant at the Mass will be Bishop Robert J. McClory, both a civil and canon lawyer who practiced law for several years in Michigan before entering seminary. “He always provides a lively homily and shares his own observations and spiritual experiences,” added Holicky.
Judges are invited to wear their robes and will enter the church with the bishop and other ministers. “The Red Mass also gives judges and lawyers in attendance the opportunity to publicly renew their Oath of Office,” said Holicky.
This year marks the 708th anniversary of the Red Mass tradition that began in 1245 in Paris, France and honors the judicial system, including the courts and the legal profession. “We celebrate the beginning of the year’s new court session calling for blessings on all judges, lawyers and members of the financial profession,” noted Holicky. “It’s called the Red Mass because of the color of the robes worn by the magistrates in that era, reflected in the color of the celebrant’s vestments.”
When the legal system was established in the United States, the legal profession brought the tradition with them, celebrating the first Red Mass in Detroit on Sept. 7, 1877. Serving Lake and Porter counties in Indiana, the Red Mass is sponsored in the Diocese of Gary by the Catholic Foundation for Northwest Indiana.
In previous years the CLE speakers have included many prestigious presenters, including the late Father David Link, former dean of the University of Notre Dame Law School, Lake County Probate Court Judge Jewell Harris, and Circuit Court Judge Marissa J. McDermott.
“The breakfast offers a very good opportunity for networking and we usually have some very good questions asked of our speakers,” said Holicky. While there is no charge for attorneys and financial professionals to attend the Red Mass and breakfast program, and all faiths are welcome, a free will offering is collected each year for a local charity. This year’s beneficiary will be the Women’s Care Center in Hammond, which will be introduced by Stepanie Vito, program director.
An RSVP is requested by Oct. 1 to jholicky@catholicfuture.org.
