Catholic Days at the Capitol
Monday, March 9, 2009
*Bishop Felipe Estevez
This week, I will be in Tallahassee March 10th -11th, visiting our state’s capital for two days of activities with our legislators and my brother bishops of Florida.
(Had I blogged a few days earlier, I would be inviting you to join me. But there’s always next year. You can read more about that below.)
Why am I going to Tallahassee? First of all, for a very special and unique Mass
called the Red Mass. The antecedents of this Mass go back to the 1300s in
Europe. It is a Mass asking the Holy Spirit to grant light, inspiration and
guidance to those serving in the legislative, executive and judicial branches of
government. This year marks the 34th Mass, which shows the steady continuity of
the Catholic Church in relating to our
state government.
All the bishops of Florida come that day to Tallahassee for this special Mass.
Many Catholics, fellow Christians and believers from the three branches of
government come to the Co-Cathedral of St. Thomas Moore for the Red Mass. We ask
for the grace to be ready to sacrifice ourselves for the sake of truth, even to
the point of shedding our own blood.
Public servants pray for divine assistance in living up to God’s standards while serving all the people of Florida.
The preacher of the Mass has a whole year to prepare for the message he will deliver on this occasion and each year a different preacher is selected. The Most Reverend Frank Dewane, bishop of Venice, will deliver the homily this year.
It is truly special to pull together all the Catholic public servants of the
state, all the bishops of the seven dioceses, and a lay representation from the
entire state to form one assembly with a single intention — the well-being of
all the citizens of Florida.
The second important event of Catholic Days at the Capitol is the Florida
Bishops-Catholic Legislators Luncheon organized by the efficient staff of the
Florida
Catholic Conference.
The theme of this year’s luncheon is the significant 40th anniversary of the
establishment of the Florida Catholic Conference in Tallahassee. This is one of
the best kept secrets among Catholic institutions, practically unknown by most
Catholics. Yet this lean staff, led by an outstanding leader, Dr. Michael
McCarron, seeks to translate into policies and good actions the social vision of
the Church for the common good. You may want to find out more about what our
conference does, please
click here.
What else do we do besides Mass and luncheon? We will participate in information
sessions on current bills and learn about our legislators’ positions on those
bills. We will then visit with the legislators and even observe floor and
committee sessions.
As responsible citizens, this initiative enables us — and all the lay people who
accompany us — to see for ourselves to what extent our vote makes a difference.
There is a growing interest among the laity to assure the transmission of our
deep convictions and fundamental values to our children and youth. It takes a
most active citizenship to join hands with many to channel our basic values
through laws and governmental actions so that society at large enables the
family and the person to stand firm and secure.
Those wanting to be part of this apostolic field trip next year should contact
our diocesan representative, Joan Crown, who directs the Office of Respect Life
of our Archdiocese. Her number is 305-653-2921.
Bishop Felipe J. Estevez
Auxiliary Bishop of Miami
Comments from readers
Thank you for an interesting article. I did not know of the association of the red mass with a willingness of legislators to even be ready to sacrifice their blood for the right cause. How appropriate that the mass is celebrated in a church dedicated to that public servent who suffered death at the hand of his former friend rather than deny teh Church. Would that all of our legislators were equally committed to their faith.