Dear Members and Friends,
During the year since I have last given you an update on the activities of your Catholic Lawyers’ Guild there is much to report to you.
First among our important initiatives is the creation at Boston College Law School of a memorial to Justice Joseph Nolan, our long time President whose life as he lived it was an inspiration and an example to all who want to live and work as one with faith in Jesus Christ. The Guild will celebrate the blessing of the memorial at 10:00 AM mass in Trinity Chapel on the law school campus on Sunday September 13 , to be followed by a blessing of the memorial plaque and bench at the Statue of St Thomas More opposite the Chapel. We are grateful to our Chaplain, the Very Reverend Mark O’Connell for agreeing to Celebrate the Mass and arranging for our speaker at the brunch which will immediately follow the blessing of the memorial. Our speaker is MC Sullivan, who will speak to us on the emerging field of palliative care from the perspective and enthusiastic support of our Cardinal and the Church.
The memorial would not have been possible without the support of the Nolan Family, who joined with the Guild in raising over $25,000.00 to create this visible tribute. The memorial bench serves not just to honor their father but stands as a perpetual reminder to the law school students of their duty to uphold the law in the face of whatever challenges they may face, large and small, and from whatever source.
Another blessing this year has been the continued success of the brunch series established and hosted by our Chaplain, Fr. Mark O’Connell. The attendance has been brisk in these informal, family friendly sessions held at the Pastoral Center on a quarterly basis. We have enjoyed hearing an update on the Archdiocese of Boston from Bishop Peter Uglietto, the 2015 Synod from Fr. Mark, and Catholic Charities from its President & CEO, Deborah Rambo.
Each format has been the same, with the Holy Sacrifice of the Mass at 10:00 AM immediately followed by a delightful and highly acclaimed light brunch (including my favorite egg, sausage and cheese on an English muffin). The delicious fare does for the body what Fr. Mark’s homilies do for the soul and our speakers’ remarks do for the mind. These are well worth your time if you are able to join us.
We enjoyed a wonderful Red Mass and luncheon on October 26, 2014. The event saw our largest turn out to date, and included our friends from The Guild of St. Luke (they are the Catholic doctors to our lawyers) who graciously allowed us to share the date they reserved at the Cathedral to accommodate our speaker, the U S Ambassador to the Holy See, Kenneth Hackett. We were honored by the attendance of three Ambassadors to the Holy See during our celebration; Honorable Raymond Flynn, Honorable Mary Ann Glendon and Ambassador Hackett.
At the 2014 Red Mass Luncheon, the Honorable Joseph R. Nolan Award was presented for the first time. This is given to a member of the legal profession who best exemplifies Justice Nolan’s excellence in the law, devotion to the Catholic faith, dedication to family and unwavering compassion for all. The inaugural recipient was Attorney Frances X. Hogan. Fran was chosen for her outstanding dedication to the work of the Church, most especially in protecting human life in all forms and for all ages.
The Directors of the Guild will hold their Annual Meeting on September 13 , concurrently with the blessing of the Memorial Bench at BC Law School. The officers and directors for the year 2015-2016 will be announced. A membership committee will also be formed with the charge to substantially increase the number of members. The goal will be set by the committee but we all know there are many eligible members from the whole legal spectrum just waiting to be asked. The new bylaws adopted last year allow us to extend membership to deserving candidates who are non-lawyers but serving the legal community in a variety of positions.
This year’s Red Mass is scheduled for November 1st in order to accommodate the Cardinal’s crowded fall schedule due in part to the Pontiff’s upcoming visit to the United States. Our prayers are with Pope Francis for a very successful and pleasant visit to the United States.
Thank you for your support and I look forward to seeing you soon at a CLG event. All God ‘s blessings for you and your families.
Sincerely,
Paul J. McNamara President
