Votive Red Mass

90th Annual Votive Red Mass of the Holy Spirit
Wednesday, October 2, 2024 | 5:15 p.m. CT
In-person


Mass
Holy Name Cathedral
735 N State St, Chicago, IL 60654

Reception
Loyola University Chicago
Kasbeer Hall | Corboy Law Center

The Catholic Lawyers Guild of Chicago would like to invite all lawyers, judges, and law professionals to the 90th Annual Votive Red Mass of the Holy Spirit, traditionally known as the Red Mass. The Red Mass has been celebrated annually in churches throughout the world since the twelfth century. It brings together members of the community from all faith traditions to pray for all those responsible for the administration of justice. We invite colleagues of all faiths, their families, friends and guests to join us.

Procession of Judges: The in-person component of our event will include the traditional procession of judges. We encourage any judge who wishes to participate to arrive with robes to Holy Name Cathedral at 5:00 p.m.

In-Person Reception: We are happy to come together in person to celebrate our honorees and gather as a legal community! More information about our reception will be provided soon.

Parking: Complimentary parking will be available in the Holy Name Cathedral parking garage located at 14 W. Superior Street, between Dearborn ad State Street, and is located below the tall tower of the new One Chicago Square complex. Superior is a one-way street going Eastbound, you will need to be coming from the West to enter the Parking Garage. You will enter on the two-way driveway on Superior and turn left to proceed down the ramp. Our entrance gate will be directly in front of you. Just pull a parking ticket and park in any non-reserved open space on Lower Level One (LL1) or Lower Level Two (LL2). There will be no need to validate your parking ticket. The parking gates will be open upon the conclusion of both the Red Mass and the reception.

If you have questions or would like more information, please email admin@clgchicago.org 


Registration

General Admission
Mass Attendance Only – $0.00
Mass and Reception Registration – $75.00
Mass and Reception Registration with Donation – $100.00
Mass and Reception Registration with Donation – $150.00
Mass and Reception Registration with Donation – $200.00

Student Admission
In-Person Student Reception Attendance – $0.00

Sponsorship
Red Mass Supporter – $500.00
Red Mass Advocate – $1,000.00
Red Mass Sponsor – $2,500.00 


Sponsors

Loyola University Chicago
School of Law

James Convery

Daniel Murray

If you are interested in sponsoring the Red Mass, please contact admin@clgchicago.org


2024 Red Mass Awards

Catholic Lawyer of the Year
 
Amy P. Campanelli
Director of the Muskegon County Public Defender

Amy P. Campanelli is the Director of the Muskegon County (Michigan) Public Defender Office. She was appointed to this position by the Board of Commissioners of Muskegon County, and took office on June 10, 2024. As the Director, Ms. Campanelli heads an office of 30+ staff, which includes attorneys, a holistic mitigation unit, an investigation unit, support staff and interns. The Muskegon County Public Defender defends indigent adults charged with felonies and misdemeanors, minors charged under the Juvenile Court Act, indigent parents facing removal of their children by the State, and also provides legal representation at mental health hearings involving competency, civil commitments, and involuntary medication. 

Prior to her appointment in Muskegon, Ms. Campanelli was the Vice-President of Restorative Justice for the Lawndale Christian Legal Center (LCLC), a non-profit organization, from May 2021 until October 2023. LCLC, the only community-based legal practice in Chicago dedicated to the felony criminal defense of juveniles and emerging adults, provides zealous, holistic, criminal defense – at no charge – to the youth of the North Lawndale neighborhood of Chicago. As Vice-President of Restorative Justice, Ms. Campanelli oversaw LCLC’s model of providing holistic community-based legal services, as well as managed efforts to reform the criminal court system through policy, organizing, and training. 

Prior to joining LCLC, Ms. Campanelli was the tenth Public Defender of Cook County, serving as the head of the office from April 2015 until March 2021. Ms. Campanelli was the second female to serve as Public Defender of Cook County, and her appointment in 2015 was the culmination of 27 years of representing the indigent accused. 

Ms. Campanelli started as an Assistant Cook County Public Defender in November 1987, assigned to the Juvenile Division. Three years later she moved to the Felony Trial Division. In 1998, Ms. Campanelli temporarily left the Office, but continued to take criminal cases in private practice. Five years later, in 2003, she returned to the Office as an Attorney Supervisor assigned to the Felony Trial Division. 

Ms. Campanelli became the Chief Assistant Public Defender of Cook County’s Bridgeview Courthouse in 2008. She became the Capital Case Coordinator for the Office in 2010. While coordinating all death penalty litigation resources in the Office, she organized jury focus groups, and spearheaded a two-day capital litigation conference with experts from around the globe. After the death penalty was abolished in Illinois in 2011, she served as Deputy Chief of the Homicide Task Force and Deputy Chief of the Felony Trial Division. In 2012, Ms. Campanelli became the Deputy Public Defender in charge of all five Suburban districts in Cook County, a position she held until her appointment as the tenth Public Defender. 

Over the years, Ms. Campanelli has been a frequent lecturer and trainer on mental health issues, trial advocacy, trial preparation, and therapeutic courts. Ms. Campanelli is committed to reducing incarceration of her clients by supporting smart, fair, and non-discriminatory criminal justice reform at every stage of the process, and through a holistic client-centered approach. 

While serving as the chief Public Defender of Cook County, Ms. Campanelli managed a budget of $80 million and a staff of approximately 700. At the same time, she launched multiple initiatives during her six-year administration, including: the Police Station Representation Unit, making attorneys available 24/7 to respond to calls for counsel by anyone in custody throughout Cook County; the Mental Health Unit, staffed with an in-house psychologist and social workers trained to identify clients with mental health issues; an Immigration Unit to provide legal representation and social help for non-citizen clients facing deportation and other immigration issues; and increased grant outreach, bringing much needed resources to her office to support clients both in and out of the courtroom. 

In June 2020, Ms. Campanelli’s Police Station Representation Unit was recognized nationally by NACO (National Association of Counties) as a major contribution in advancing Criminal Justice and Public Safety. This award honored her innovative, effective government program that strengthened services for residents. 

During the COVID-19 pandemic, which started in early 2020 and consumed the final year of her term as Cook County Public Defender, Ms. Campanelli worked tirelessly to obtain the release of over 2000 clients from the Cook County Jail, while working with other stakeholders to provide necessary services to those released. She was a guest speaker on MSNBC and various news outlets, informing the public how her office had responded to protecting her clients’ rights while ensuring public safety, obtaining the release of at-risk clients from the County Jail, which had a high concentration of COVID-19 cases. 

In April 2020, Chicago Magazine declared Ms. Campanelli as one of the 50 most powerful women in Chicago, citing her push for bail reform, expansion of mental health courts and the humane treatment of accused juveniles that made her the most potent defender the indigent could have. In May 2020, the Chicago Daily Law Bulletin and Chicago Lawyer Magazine jointly honored her as one of the Most Influential Women In Law. This award identified her work to advance other women in the legal profession, as well as her serving as a shining example of leadership. 

Ms. Campanelli received her Bachelor of Arts degree from the University of Illinois, Champaign-Urbana, and her Juris Doctor from Chicago-Kent College of Law – Illinois Institute of Technology. 

In her personal life, Ms. Campanelli is a member of St. Francis Xavier parish in La Grange, Illinois. She has participated as a youth minister and in the wedding ministry. Ms. Campanelli is a lifelong member of the Delta Delta Delta Sorority. She is married to Patrick Campanelli, and they have three children: Paul, Annabelle, and Emily. 

Lifetime Achievement Award

Mary Meg McCarthy is the executive director of Heartland Alliance’s National Immigrant Justice Center (NIJC), one of the nation’s foremost immigrant and human rights advocacy organizations. Under Mary Meg’s leadership, NIJC has become a leading organization dedicated to advancing justice for immigrants. Working with a pro bono network of 1,500 attorneys, NIJC provides counsel and representation to approximately 10,000 low income immigrants, refugees, and asylum seekers each year. NIJC’s legal services inform its advocacy, litigation and educational initiatives to promote human rights locally, regionally, nationally and internationally.

An expert in immigration law, Mary Meg has testified before Congress and is often quoted in major news outlets such as MSNBC, The New York Times, and the Chicago Tribune. As an active member of the American Bar Association, Mary Meg chairs its Commission on Immigration. She is also a member of The Chicago Network, the American Immigration Lawyers Association, and the Chicago Bar Association, among others. Prior to joining NIJC, Mary Meg practiced civil litigation and was an NIJC pro bono attorney. Earlier in her career she worked in local communities in Chile to help safeguard the rights of individuals under a dictatorship.

Mary Meg has been honored with several awards including: the Chicago Bar Association Justice John Paul Stevens Award (October 2015), the American Constitution Society Chicago Lawyer Chapter Ruth Goldman Award (July 2015), Chicago Inn of Court 2015 Don Hubert Public Service Award, the Pax Christi 2013 Teacher of Peace Award, and the Damen Award from Loyola University Chicago (June 2015).



Special Service Award

Johannes Favi
Deputy Director of the Illinois Community
for Displaced Immigrants

Johannes Favi is the Deputy Director of the Illinois Community for Displaced Immigrants (ICDI). In his role, he oversees the strategic planning, fundraising, and development of ICDI. He has led and participated in various actions and meetings with elected officials, community leaders, local organizations, and universities at both the local and national levels. Johannes has authored several articles advocating for the abolition of immigrant detention centers in Illinois, efforts that culminated in the passage of The Illinois Way Forward Act.

On October 10, 2023, World Mental Health Day, Johannes premiered “Caged Dreams,” a short film he directed. The film vividly portrays the emotional experience of immigration detention and its profound impacts on a person’s mental health and their loved ones. Johannes also founded the organization Caged Dreams, which aims to provide mental health support to individuals, including new arrivals experiencing mental health challenges during the reentry process.

Johannes serves as a member of the New Arrivals Cabinet at Chicago Mayor Brandon Johnson’s Office of Immigrants, Migrants, and Refugee Rights. He is also a board member of the Illinois Community for Displaced Immigrants and was the inaugural Freedom Fellow of the Detention Watch Network. He is a 2024 graduate of the Civic Leadership Academy at the University of Chicago Harris School of Public Policy and a proud father of three.

Special Service Award

Sister JoAnn Persch
President, Catherine’s Caring Cause
Sister Pat Murphy
Vice President, Catherine’s Caring Cause

Sisters Pat and JoAnn, Sisters of Mercy, have both been educators and administrators. In the mid 1980’s they opened a Catholic public sanctuary with other religious communities of women. They began Su Casa Catholic Worker Community in 1990. The home was for Central American Refugees seeking political asylum as survivors of torture. 

After seven years living and ministering at Su Casa,  they helped build a program at Casa Notre Dame for women in recovery from addiction and their children. When they began to pray at the Broadview ICE deportation center the impact of that reality led them to found the Interfaith Community for Detained Immigrants, an organization they began in 2007. The organization did work in four detention centers, a deportation center, the immigration court,  and the Post-Detention Accompaniment program.  They opened two houses for immigrants released from detention and awaiting court dates, and were invited to do pastoral work with the children in the Casas del Ninos.

When the buses started coming in August of 2022 Pat and JoAnn were invited to be on two committees to strategize about the Catholic and human response to the reality of the influx.  Asked to find housing and support for one family, then two and so on until they formed Catherine’s Caring Cause which now houses 16 families.  Catherine’s Caring Cause incorporated and is a 501(c)(3).