Supreme Court justices do (did) not attend annual Red Mass due to security concerns

Washington Cardinal Robert McElroy, center, concelebrates the 73rd annual Red Mass at the Cathedral of St. Matthew the Apostle in Washington Oct. 5, 2025. Also pictured are Bishop Michael Burbidge of Arlington, Va.; Cardinal Christophe Pierre, the apostolic nuncio to the United States; Deacon Robert Vince, who serves at the cathedral; Archbishop Timothy Broglio of the Archdiocese for the Military Services; and Washington Auxiliary Bishop Juan Esposito. (OSV News/John Carroll Society/Christopher Newkumet)


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Due to security concerns, no Supreme Court justices attended this year's Red Mass Oct. 5 at the Cathedral of St. Matthew the Apostle in Washington. The annual Mass prays for jurists and public officials the day before the start of the Supreme Court's term.

The Metropolitan Police Department of Washington reported that they had arrested a New Jersey man who had set up a tent on the steps of the cathedral and that they charged him with possession of explosives.

The Mass was delayed for about 20 minutes and hundreds of people waited outside before they were allowed to enter the cathedral through a side entrance.

At the Mass, Washington Cardinal Robert McElroy emphasized that "men and women of the law are architects of hope by reason of their vocation."

Text of Cardinal McElroy’s Red Mass homily: ‘Men and Women of the Law as Architects of Hope’

Cardinal Robert W. McElroy, the archbishop of Washington, gives the homily at the Red Mass on Oct. 5, 2025 at the Cathedral of St. Matthew the Apostle in Washington, D.C. The annual Red Mass – sponsored by the John Carroll Society of the Roman Catholic Archdiocese of Washington – is held on the day before the opening of the Supreme Court’s term, and it includes prayers for God’s guidance and blessings for those involved in the nation’s system of law and justice. At left is Msgr. Peter Vaghi, the longtime chaplain of the John Carroll Society. (John Carroll Society photo by Christopher Newkumet)

Cardinal Robert W. McElroy

Oct 5, 2025 Voices

(The following is the text of the homily given by Cardinal Robert W. McElroy, the archbishop of Washington, for the Red Mass at the Cathedral of St. Matthew the Apostle in Washington, D.C., on Oct. 5, 2025.)

It is a great joy and personal privilege to celebrate this Mass with you as the new Supreme Court term begins. My own respect and love for the legal profession arose from observing my father serve in private practice for almost 40 years with integrity, wisdom and compassion. Through his eyes I witnessed the beauty, the struggles, the transformative grace and the hard moral dilemmas that come with a lifelong devotion to the law that never loses sight of the men and women who are affected by it.

It is with prayer for each of you that I begin this reflection – prayer that God will constantly raise your eyes to wisdom, compassion and judgment; that you may be consoled when you feel torn or adrift, that in the deepest moments of achievement and satisfaction you might understand that God is at work in you; and that the nobility of your calling will sustain you through every adversity.

On August 9 of this year, I celebrated Mass at Urakami Cathedral in Nagasaki on the 80th anniversary of the dropping of the atomic bomb. The cathedral, which was one of the greatest Catholic churches in Asia, lay at the very center of the targeted area in that Catholic city and was almost totally destroyed. The human devastation was horrific and unimaginable. Every element of the social fabric disintegrated in a tsunami of mourning, numbness, despair and an inability to see any pathway forward for those who had survived.

DC police arrest suspect for alleged explosive outside annual Red Mass

Police found suspicious items including vials of liquid and possible fireworks in suspect's tent

By Stephen Sorace Fox News
Published October 5, 2025 2:34pm EDT

DC police arrest suspect for alleged explosive outside annual Red Mass

A 41-year-old New Jersey man was arrested outside Saint Matthew’s Cathedral in Washington, D.C., on Sunday for allegedly possessing a Molotov cocktail, authorities said.

Louis Geri, of Vineland, had set up a tent on the steps of the Cathedral, which was due to hold its annual Red Mass, the Metropolitan Police Department (MPD) said in a news release.

Red Mass is a Catholic Mass that celebrates the start of the judicial year and offers prayers for wisdom, counsel, and fortitude for judges, lawyers and public officials.

Officers assigned to a detail for the Red Mass spotted Geri and his tent shortly before 6 a.m. and determined he had been previously barred from the Cathedral premises, police said. Geri refused to leave the premises, according to authorities, and was arrested without incident.



Police said Louis Geri, 41, had set up a tent on the steps outside Saint Matthew’s Cathedral in Washington, D.C., on Sunday. (Fox News)

Officers spotted multiple suspicious items during the arrest, including vials of liquid and possible fireworks inside the suspect’s tent, MPD said.

Geri was previously barred from the premises and arrested without incident, police said. During the arrest, officers spotted multiple suspicious items in his belongings. (Fox News)

Members of MPD’s Explosive Ordinance Disposal team and the Arson Task Force also arrived to examine the suspect’s belongings that he left behind on the Cathedral steps.

Police said the scene was secured and there was no threat to the public.

Police said vials of liquid and possible fireworks were found inside the suspect's tent. (Fox News)

Geri faces charges of unlawful entry, threats to kidnap or injure a person and possession of a Molotov cocktail.

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The John Carroll Society presents The 73rd Annual Red Mass | 10/5/2025 |...

The John Carroll Society presents The 73rd Annual Red Mass | 10/5/2025 | Washington, D.C., USA

Roman Catholic Archdiocese of Washington

The Roman Catholic Archdiocese of Washington and The John Carroll Society invite you to join us via Livestream for the 73rd Annual Red Mass on Sunday, October 5, 2025, at 9:00 AM EDT from The Cathedral of St. Matthew the Apostle in NW Washington, DC, USA. Robert Cardinal McElroy, Archbishop of Washington, will serve as the Principal Celebrant and Homilist. 

Before the Mass, at 8:40 AM EDT, Preeya Noronha Pinto, 2nd Vice President of the John Carroll Society, will detail the history of the John Carroll Society. 

Music will then be provided by the Cathedral of St. Matthew the Apostle's Schola Cantorum choir, who will sing throughout the Mass. 

You can follow along with today's readings here: https://bible.usccb.org/bible/reading... 

The Red Mass is celebrated annually at the Cathedral of St. Matthew the Apostle, traditionally on the Sunday before the first Monday in October, which marks the opening of the Supreme Court’s annual term. Its purpose is to invoke God’s blessings and guidance on those responsible for the administration of justice as well as on all public officials, and is a tradition that dates back many centuries to Rome, Paris and London. The name comes from the color of the vestments worn by the celebrants and the color of fire, a symbol of the Holy Spirit. I

mmediately following the Mass, The John Carroll Society will honor several individuals and law firms for their pro bono support of the Catholic Charities Legal Network. 

To learn more about the history of The Red Mass and The John Carroll Society, visit: https://www.johncarrollsociety.org/me... 

Subscribe to our channel here: https://www.youtube.com/subscription_... 

The John Carroll Society presents The 73rd Annual Red Mass | 10/5/2025 |...

 

The John Carroll Society presents The 73rd Annual Red Mass | 10/5/2025 | Washington, D.C., USA



Roman Catholic Archdiocese of Washington

Scheduled for Oct 5, 2025 #Catholic #JohnCarrollSociety #RedMass

The Roman Catholic Archdiocese of Washington and The John Carroll Society invite you to join us via Livestream for the 73rd Annual Red Mass on Sunday, October 5, 2025, at 9:00 AM EDT from The Cathedral of St. Matthew the Apostle in NW Washington, DC, USA. Robert Cardinal McElroy, Archbishop of Washington, will serve as the Principal Celebrant and Homilist. 

Before the Mass, at 8:40 AM EDT, Preeya Noronha Pinto, 2nd Vice President of the John Carroll Society, will detail the history of the John Carroll Society. 

Music will then be provided by the Cathedral of St. Matthew the Apostle's Schola Cantorum choir, who will sing throughout the Mass. You can follow along with today's readings here: https://bible.usccb.org/bible/reading... 

The Red Mass is celebrated annually at the Cathedral of St. Matthew the Apostle, traditionally on the Sunday before the first Monday in October, which marks the opening of the Supreme Court’s annual term. Its purpose is to invoke God’s blessings and guidance on those responsible for the administration of justice as well as on all public officials, and is a tradition that dates back many centuries to Rome, Paris and London. The name comes from the color of the vestments worn by the celebrants and the color of fire, a symbol of the Holy Spirit. 

Immediately following the Mass, The John Carroll Society will honor several individuals and law firms for their pro bono support of the Catholic Charities Legal Network. 

To learn more about the history of The Red Mass and The John Carroll Society, visit: https://www.johncarrollsociety.org/me...