The Hon. Tari Eitzen awards Gonzaga law student Steven Merriman with the Judges Foundation Lawless Memorial Scholarship.

The Most Reverend William S. Skylstad, D.D, Bishop of Spokane, presided at the 2009 Red Mass, held Tuesday, Sept. 15 , at St. Aloysius Church on the Gonzaga University Chapel.

At a reception held following the mass in the Jundt Art Museum, the Hon. Tari Eitzen awarded Gonzaga law student Steven Merriman with the Judges Foundation Lawless Memorial Scholarship.

The 2009 Distinguished Judicial Award was presented to The Honorable Kathleen M. O'Connor.

Homilist for the service was Peter B. Ely, S.J., Vice President of Mission and Ministry, Seattle University. Va Lena Curran was Cantor.

The Red Mass for the legal profession dates back to 1310, during the reign of Edward of England. The Mass was held in Westminster to mark the beginning of the Michaelmas, or fall term of the King's Bench. It was an occasion of great pageantry and solemnity as judges, barristers, and members of Parliament gathered to invoke God's blessing and guidance on themselves and their profession.

The term "Red Mass" derives from the robes worn by both priests and judges for the celebration. It is a Mass of the Holy Spirit where the liturgical color is red. In 14th century England, judges robed according to the ecclesiastical season and occasion. Consequently, the red robes and vestments gave a thematic hue to both the Mass and the pageantry surrounding it.