Dear Members and Friends of the Thomas More Lawyers’ Guild of Toronto,
It is with great pleasure and honour that we, on behalf of the Board of Directors of the Guild, extend our invitation to you to celebrate the 102nd Anniversary of the Red Mass and the 61st Anniversary of the Thomas More Lawyers’ Guild of Toronto.
This significant event will take place at St. Michael’s Cathedral Basilica. The Red Mass marks the opening of the Courts and brings together members of the Ontario Judiciary, lawyers, and those associated with the administration of justice. Following the Red Mass, we invite you to join us for a reception and dinner at the Omni King Edward Hotel (The Crystall Ballroom).
We are thrilled to announce Justice Amy Coney Barrett, Supreme Court of the United States as our distinguished Guest of Honour and Keynote Speaker for this memorable occasion.
When: Tuesday, October 27th, 2026, at 5:00 p.m.
Where: St. Michael’s Cathedral Basilica, 65 Bond St., Toronto, ON M5B 1X1
Reception and Dinner: 6:30 p.m.
Location: The Omni King Edward Hotel, 37 King St E, Toronto, ON M5C 1E9 (The Crystall Ballroom)
Guest of Honour and Keynote Speaker: Justice Amy Coney Barrett, Supreme Court of the United States
Dress Code: Business Attire
We look forward to celebrating this milestone with you.
P.S.: Tickets are available exclusively through our website.
**Membership in the Guild is not required to purchase a ticket for the Red Mass.
Warm Regards,
The Thomas More Lawyers’ Guild of Toronto
Collection of the Supreme Court of the United States.
Amy Coney Barrett, Associate Justice, was born in New Orleans, Louisiana, on January 28, 1972. She married Jesse M. Barrett in 1999, and they have seven children. She received a B.A. from Rhodes College in 1994 and a J.D. from Notre Dame Law School in 1997. She served as a law clerk for Judge Laurence H. Silberman of the U.S. Court of Appeals for the D.C. Circuit from 1997 to 1998, and for Justice Antonin Scalia of the Supreme Court of the United States during the 1998 Term. After two years in private law practice in Washington, D.C., she became a law professor, joining the faculty of Notre Dame Law School in 2002. She was appointed a Judge of the United States Court of Appeals for the Seventh Circuit in 2017. President Donald J. Trump nominated her as an Associate Justice of the Supreme Court, and she took her seat on October 27, 2020.
THE HISTORY OF THE RED MASS
The Thomas More Lawyers’ Guild of Toronto traces its history back to the 13th century with the initiation of the Red Mass. In the Cathedral of Paris in 1245, a Mass was held to invoke the guidance of the Holy Spirit on the judges of the Ecclesiastical Courts. It is believed the first liturgy was celebrated in honour of St. Ives of Brittany, the patron saint of lawyers.
The practice of the Red Mass spread to England in 1310 during the reign of King Edward I. The entire Bench and Bar attended this special Eucharist at the beginning of the spring term of Court. The name “Red Mass” became a tradition because of the red robes worn by the judges and the red vestments worn by the priests.
The Red Mass has been held annually in Westminster Cathedral, London, since 1904. It was first held in Toronto in 1925. Its sponsorship was assumed by the Guild of Our Lady of Good Counsel in 1931 and by the Thomas More Lawyers’ Guild of Toronto since 1968. One of the Guild’s primary objectives remains the sponsorship of the Red Mass.