
Click here for a slide show to see who was there.
Downtown Brooklyn witnessed a resurgence of an age-old tradition as the Catholic Lawyers Guild of Kings County and the Columbian Lawyers Association of Brooklyn co-hosted the annual Red Mass at the Cathedral Basilica of Saint James on Thursday, Oct. 5.
The ceremony, led by Reverend Monsignor Joseph Grimaldi, Very Reverend Patrick Keating, a recent Brooklyn Law School graduate, and Very Reverend Bryan Patterson, serves as a prayer for the legal community and marks a new beginning after many local bar associations break for the summer.
Gregory Cerchione, past president of the Brooklyn Bar Association, Catholic Lawyers, and Columbian Lawyers, along with Yolanda Guadagnoli, the current Columbian Lawyers president, led the congregation with a pair of readings.
Attendance this year was notably higher compared to recent years, a promising sign of community re-engagement following pandemic-related challenges.
Co-sponsored by the Kings & Ladies of the Holy Sepulchre, the Knights of Columbus and the Columbiettes, and the Ceremonial Honor Guard of the New York State Court Officer’s Association, the event extends its invitation beyond lawyers and judges to court employees and people of different faiths.
A reception followed at the Brooklyn Bar Association, catered by Italian restaurant Marco Polo, reinforcing the event’s focus on camaraderie.
The roots of the Red Mass stretch back to 13th-century Catholic Europe. It made its way to American soil in 1928, called forth by Cardinal Hayes of New York. The Mass invites professionals across the legal spectrum to seek divine wisdom for the forthcoming term of the Court.
Not just an artifact of Catholic or European tradition, the Red Mass has evolved into a uniquely American and ecumenical event, underlining the diversity and unity within Brooklyn’s legal community.










Click here for a slide show to see who was there.












SUNSET PARK — “As a resident of Marine Park, one of the great surprises I found biking around Industry City and visiting Japan Village was to discover Bush Terminal Park. I continue to be amazed at the serene hideaways that the city offers in some of the busiest places — and, still, with an iconic view.”

BROOKLYN HEIGHTS — ‘A miracle that no one was killed …’ That’s what neighbors are saying about the collapse of the Hotel St. George marquee. Shown in this photograph are workmen beginning the removal and repair of the historic, old neon sign at the corner, referencing a relic of Brooklyn Heights’ past: the St. George Hotel.

ATLANTIC AVENUE — Exhausted shopper with cluster of bags and goods from mall at Boerum Place stops to look at huge construction site across the street. “Is that REALLY going to be a jail??” Her male companion is reassuring, “Nothing like Rikers … this is 21st Century.”
BROOKLYN HEIGHTS — Overheard in line at one of most popular pastry outlets on Montague Street: “Hope I can get them into a camp …” A mother with two pre-schoolers in tow was showing a friend the Dodge Y flyer for Healthy Kids Day on Saturday, April 18.