Join Us
44th Annual
Red Mass
Wednesday, October 28, 2026
5:30 PM
Cathedral of Our Lady of Angels
555 West Temple Street, Los Angeles, CA 90012
A Tradition of Faith, Justice, and Service
For more than seven centuries, the Red Mass has brought together members of the legal profession at the beginning of the judicial year to seek God’s guidance, wisdom, and strength in the pursuit and administration of justice.
The Red Mass is a centuries-old tradition with roots dating to Paris in 1245. Today, judges, attorneys, legislators, public officials, law students, and other members of the legal community gather in a spirit of reflection and shared purpose. In Los Angeles, the annual Red Mass is presented by the St. Thomas More Society of Los Angeles in honor of St. Thomas More, the patron saint of lawyers and a lasting example of conscience, integrity, and service.
While rooted in the Catholic tradition, the Red Mass is ecumenical and welcoming to people of all faiths and traditions. All members of the legal community—and those who wish to join us in prayer for wisdom, justice, and ethical public service—are warmly invited to attend.
Following the Mass, guests are invited to gather for a post-Mass reception, providing an opportunity for fellowship and conversation with members of the clergy, bench, bar, and greater legal community.
The St. Thomas More Society of Los Angeles is a nonprofit organization, and the Red Mass and post-Mass reception are made possible through the generosity of our donors and supporters. Their contributions help us continue this meaningful Los Angeles tradition and bring the legal community together in a shared commitment to faith, justice, and service.
Hon. Sergio C. Tapia II
Los Angeles County Superior Court
Closing Speaker
Hon. Sergio C. Tapia II serves as the presiding judge of the Los Angeles County Superior Court, the largest trial court in the nation. Appointed in 2013, he has held multiple leadership roles within the court and the Judicial Council, and he currently advises Governor Gavin Newsom through the Judicial Selection Advisory Committee. Before joining the bench, Judge Tapia worked as a public defender, an AmeriCorps attorney, and an adjunct law professor. A first‑generation college graduate and the son of Mexican immigrant parents, he has dedicated his career to public service, mentorship, and expanding access to justice.
Key Roles & Service
- Former Assistant Presiding Judge and Supervising Judge of the Criminal Division
- Member, Judicial Council committees and statewide advisory groups
- Leadership in judicial and legal organizations, including California Latino Judges Association (President)
- Longtime mentor and supporter of civic education programs
- Degrees from UC Berkeley and the University of Iowa College of Law
- Married to Superior Court Judge
Hon. Maria Cavalluzzi
Los Angeles County Superior Court
Lector
Judge Cavalluzzi received a BA degree in History from Loyola Marymount University in 1984, and a JD from Southwestern University School of Law in 1986.
She began her legal career as a Deputy District Attorney here in Los Angeles, eventually transferring to the Los Angeles County Public Defender office, before transitioning to private practice in 1999. In private practice she took on criminal cases as well as civil rights matters in both State and Federal Court. She was in partnership with her brother Michael Cavalluzzi – now a Los Angeles Superior Court Judge as well – until she was appointed to the Los Angeles County Superior Court by then Governor Jerry Brown in January 2019.
Judge Cavalluzzi currently presides over cases in the Court’s Mental Health branch at the Hollywood courthouse. Her career reflects a blend of public service, private legal practice, and ultimately a Judicial appointment.
Judge Cavalluzzi married in 2001 and, along with her husband, has raised two sons to be kind and compassionate young men – her proudest achievement.
Most Reverend Matthew G. Elshoff, O.F.M., Cap., D.D., V.G.
Auxiliary Bishop of Los Angeles
Our Lady of the Angels Pastoral Region
Principal Celebrant
Bishop Elshoff was born in Cincinnati, Ohio, but grew up in the Los Angeles area,
attending St. Bede the Venerable Church and school in La Canada Flintridge. After graduating St. Francis High School, also in La Canada Flintridge, he entered the Capuchin Franciscan Order in 1973 and was ordained to the priesthood by Cardinal Timothy Manning in 1982.
As a Capuchin, he served as Vice Master of Novices, and was soon elected for leadership as a Definitor from 1999 to 2005 and then as local Provincial from 2008 to 2014. Within the Archdiocese, he has served as educator, campus minister, then President of St. Francis High School. He has also served as Pastor of Old Mission Santa Ines in Solvang, and most recently as Pastor in 2018 at St. Lawrence of Brindisi in Los Angeles. Archbishop Gomez appointed him as Episcopal Vicar for Our Lady of the Angels Pastoral Region on September 26, 2023, at the Cathedral of Our Lady of the Angels.
Fr. Dan Lackie O.F.M.
Pastor of the Mission Santa Barbara California
Homilist
Father Dan Lackie is a Franciscan Friar and currently serves as pastor of the Mission Santa Barbara California. Ordained to the priesthood at the Mission in 1994, Fr. Dan began priestly ministry in San Francisco at St. Anthony Parish, later serving as chaplain at St. Anthony Dining Room and Foundation and as Board member at St. Francis Center in Los Angeles. In a recent message to us he wrote, “To be invited to serve as preacher at the Annual Red Mass is a great honor for which I am very grateful, especially in representing my fellow friars and our shared tradition during this significant Jubilee Year.”
While R.S.V.P. is not required, it does help in our planning of the post-mass reception. Thank you