MERRILLVILLE – Bishop Robert J. McClory gave legal and financial professionals plenty to think about at the annual Red Mass celebrated by the Diocese of Gary on Oct. 5 at Our Lady of Consolation, digging deep to reach to the core of their purpose.
“What is your ‘why’?” he asked in his homily. “Why do you do what you do?”
Noting that he recently participated in the investiture of his brother as a probate judge in Wayne County, Mich., the bishop described the event as “an occasion to celebrate why judges and lawyers do what they do, those who serve with integrity.”
Prompting the nine robed judges from Lake and Porter county courts, and about two dozen attorneys, who rose during the Mass to renew their professional promises by reciting the Indiana Attorneys’ Oath, to reflect on their work, Bishop McClory, himself a licensed attorney, asked, “What stirs your passion, leading to fulfillment and (your) core purpose in life?
“Every opportunity we have to let people know not just what we did (in a legal case),” added the bishop, can lead to a deeper understanding and deeper reality – and not just for civil codes, but for the law of the Church.
Something that the Catholic Church teaches that can be difficult to understand until people understand “the deeper meaning,” noted the bishop, can be expressed in the four principles of the Church – God loves us, God has given to us a gift, the gift is meant to help us, and God wants us to be in a relationship with him.
“All those things are rooted in a deeper understanding through the Catholic Catechism,” added Bishop McClory. “We must understand (that laws) are a gift given to us for deeper understanding.”
Therefore, it becomes “worthwhile to ask ‘Why?’ What motivates us, what led (us) to the love for our calling, to take it seriously,” said the bishop. “One should be able to find deep satisfaction,” he noted, “that we can see and know that God has a plan for us, especially when it involves trust in using your resources.” The calling to the priesthood, he added, is not in opposition as it all provides “the ability to be of service.
“May this be a day when we reflect more deeply on why we do what we do through the calling of God to each of us,” said Bishop McClory, who blessed the legal and financial professionals and thanked them for “the professions you have chosen … you will always find a need for your work.”
The tradition of the Red Mass dates back to 1245 in Paris, France, and 1301 in Westminster, England, by invoking the wisdom of the Holy Spirit upon judges, justices and members of the legal profession at the beginning of each new judicial year. The liturgy took its title after the color of the vestments worn for a Mass of the Holy Spirit.
Today, the Red Mass brings together members of the bar, the judiciary, government officials, the financial community and others who work for justice in the world and seek the Holy Spirit’s guidance in their work.
Debra Lynch Dubovich, an attorney with Levy & Dubovich in Merrillville and a parishioner at St. Mary in Kouts, said she has gratefully attended the Red Mass since it was instituted in the Diocese of Gary a number of years ago. “I’m so blessed to be able to practice law, to help people. To give glory to God for that is a blessing,” she said.
“This day is so deeply rooted in history, like our laws based on Judeo-Christian tradition and beliefs, that it is very important, as Bishop McClory said, to help us remember why we are here and why we do what we do,” Dubovich added.
Judge John Sedia of Lake Superior Court Room 1, Civil Division in Hammond, since 1994, a Schererville resident and parishioner at Our Lady of Grace in Highland, said he also attends the Red Mass every year “to celebrate the rich history of his profession based on the teachings of St. Thomas More. So many good things (come from the law) – resolving disputes, bringing peace and resolution to people.”
Porter County Superior Court Judge Christopher Buckley, a Valparaiso resident who handles Level 6 felony and lower charges, small claims and mental health cases, said the “absolute best thing” about his position is “getting to affect people’s lives in real time and affect positive change.”
Beginning as Lowell Town Judge in 2015 and elected to his current position in 2021, Buckley called the Red Mass he has attended since 2009 “one of the highlights” of each judicial year. “It connects our professional lives to our faith lives,” said the St. Paul, Valparaiso, parishioner..
Hosted in the Diocese of Gary by the Catholic Foundation for Northwest Indiana, the Red Mass also offers the legal and financial representatives a breakfast program providing continuing education credits and the opportunity to explain the work of the foundation. Judy Holicky, the diocesan stewardship coordinator, explained that the foundation’s Mercy Fund will present $9,500 in grants this month to benefit local nonprofits that serve the needs of local residents.
Gary Bonk, an attorney and member of the foundation’s board of directors, announced that Red Mass sponsors this year raised $10,000 for the Catholic Foundation, which annually selects a charity to support. This year’s charity is the Wheelchair Ramp Ministry of St. Michael the Archangel in Schererville, which purchases used materials and installs ramps to allow NWI residents who need handicapped access to remain in their homes. Jim Koeling, who “saw a need” and founded the ministry, said 61 ramps have been installed since 2019.
“A Mercy Grant in 2019 validated that we were a legitimate charity,” Koeling said. “We are grateful that other people believed in us.”
This year’s educational program on the role and responsibilities of a fiduciary in Indiana was presented by Jewel Harris, a Lake County probate commissioner, and Tom Devine, vice president for Trust and Wealth Management at Peoples Bank.
Caption: Lawyers rise and raise their right hands during the reading of the Indiana Attorneys Oath at the Red Mass in Merrillville on Oct. 5. After the liturgy at Our Lady of Consolation presided over by Bishop Robert J. McClory, the guests from legal and financial professions participated in a seminar hosted by the Catholic Foundation for Northwest Indiana. (Anthony D. Alonzo photo)