ORLANDO | Judges and lawyers from around the diocese renewed their oath during the annual Red Mass, celebrated Nov. 7, 2025, at St. James Cathedral. A small group of students from All Souls Catholic School also showed up excited to meet the men and women who help enforce the law across Central Florida.
These students took part in an elective on basic legal tenets of criminal law. Teacher Michael Jennings brought his students along with local attorney Anna Pecoraro McCorkle, who instructed a dozen seventh- and eighth-graders in the practice of law.
McCorkle is an appellate attorney and mother of two alumni. Appreciating Principal Barbara Schirard’s desire to bring unique opportunities to her students, McCorkle said, “I had an idea of trying to explain to young people the importance of understanding our laws and how they intersect with our Catholic faith.”
Among the topics she covered were why the 10 commandments are relevant to law and the importance of the patron saint of lawyers and judges, St. Thomas More.
“When we look at what’s important in our society — the fact that we should not take from other people, we should not bear false witness against others, that we should respect relationships, that we should keep our thoughts pure‚ these are all things that allow a society to work at its foundation,” McCorkle said. “And throughout history, you can see the echoes of the 10 Commandments throughout the written laws about respecting others, respecting yourself, and ensuring at the core of it, that you are doing what is right and good.”
This is the first semester the course was offered at All Souls. McCorkle was impressed by the students. She hopes to return and teach again should her schedule permit.
Seventh-grader Julianna H. said law always interested her. Although her focus is more on liberal arts, she said the subject matter, and the fact there would be a mock trial at the end convinced her to participate.
“Learning about (law) is very important to our education,” said Julianna, who enjoyed playing the roles of prosecutor, then witness in the two mock trials. “I’m more of a performer and I want to go down that field, but I do take a lot of interest in the art of law.”
Eighth-grader Sophia M. said law is a subject that has piqued her interest since she was little.
“It really taught me things that I didn’t know about law itself, the background of law, like where our rules for law came from. I also learned about how I could bring my Catholic faith into law, and that was a really nice experience,” she said.
Both students appreciated the Red Mass, watching the lawyers renew their Oath of Admission to the Florida Bar, and celebrating award recipients recognized for living the Catholic faith through their work and their lives.
The Catholic Lawyers Guild of Central Florida gave Betty Congelose Wheeler the St. Thomas More award for her years of service to her parish, St. James Cathedral, her tireless service for the guild, and especially for her years of work with Outreach Love, an organization dedicated to providing tutoring and mentoring to disadvantaged elementary school children from the Parramore area.
The St. Thomas More award is presented to a member of the legal profession whose accomplishments in some way represent the principles and ideals of St. Thomas More. The patron saint of lawyers enjoyed great fortune under the reign of Henry VIII until he refused to support him as head of the English Church against the Roman Catholic Church, for which he was imprisoned and beheaded.
Receiving the St. Martin de Porres award from the guild was Second Harvest Food Bank, a private, nonprofit that distributes food to a network of almost 900 feeding partners across seven counties including Catholic Charities of Central Florida. Receiving the award on behalf of the agency was its president and CEO, Derrick Chubbs.
St. Martin de Porres is the patron saint of social justice. He devoted his life to the corporal works of mercy through care of the sick, injured, and poor.
The Red Mass began in France in the early 13th century in which God was called upon to help lawyers and judges adhere to truth and justice. Eventually the practice spread and a Mass marked the opening of each Term of Court. Inspired by the Holy Spirit, the priest-celebrants and judges of the High Court wore red robes signifying their willingness to defend the truth, even at the cost of shedding their own blood.