Honolulu Weekly

Red Mass / Thursday morning marked the Catholic Diocese of Honolulu’s annual Red Mass, a church service in which prayers are made and blessings asked on behalf of the public servants of Hawaii. The mass dates back 700 years in European culture, and started expanding in the U.S. just last century. The mass gets its name from the red vestments that are worn, and they are meant to invoke the Holy Spirit for wisdom and guidance.

“It’s been around since 1955 in Hawaii, but it’s pretty much a tradition in many Catholic Dioceses,” said Patrick Downes, editor of Hawaii Catholic Herald. “In Washington, D.C., it’s associated with the opening of the Supreme Court session, so it’s usually affiliated with the judiciary. In Hawaii it’s always been associated with the opening of the legislature. The invitations go out to all the legislators, everyone in city, some military and that kind of stuff.”

Gov. Linda Lingle and Lt. Gov. James “Duke” Aiona were among the public officials who attended the Cathedral of Our Lady of Peace on Fort Street Mall. The homily centered around Damien de Veuster, the legendary priest who served those who suffered from leprosy on Molokai in the 1800s.

“Father Damien is this example of charity and bringing dignity to people who are dispossessed,” said Downes. “He actually lived with the people who were forceably abandoned by the rest of the community because they had diseases that couldn’t be cured. He lived with them, caught there disease and actually died with them. It’s a heroic example that we can follow, in terms of being a public servant.”

The constitutionality of the religious service, which local lawmakers have participated in for more than 50 years, has raised concerns in the past. The service is held each January, usually the day after the legislative session opens.