Solution: Annual Roman Catholic service for members of the legal profession - NYT Crossword

This term was a new one for me, but apparently RED MASS — not a “red wedding,” thankfully — is an annual Catholic service for members of the legal profession. According to the website of Creighton University’s School of Law: “Its history dates to 13th-century Europe when it was celebrated prior to opening the Ecclesiastical Courts, to invoke divine guidance upon those responsible for administering laws and justice. The name of the Mass is derived from the red vestments worn by the priests, to signify the fire of the Holy Spirit, and by the scarlet robes worn then by judges and doctors of law.”