The John Carroll Society was founded in

Washington, D.C. ) , image_skyline = , image_caption = Clockwise from top left: the Washington Monument and Lincoln Memorial on the National Mall, United States Capitol, Logan Circle, Jefferson Memorial, White House, Adams Morgan, ...

, in 1951 as a spiritual and beneficent organization for

Catholic The Catholic Church, also known as the Roman Catholic Church, is the largest Christian church, with 1.3 billion baptized Catholics worldwide . It is among the world's oldest and largest international institutions, and has played a ...

professional A professional is a member of a profession or any person who works in a specified professional activity. The term also describes the standards of education and training that prepare members of the profession with the particular knowledge and skil ...

laypersons in the service of the

archbishop In Christian denominations, an archbishop is a bishop of higher rank or office. In most cases, such as the Catholic Church, there are many archbishops who either have jurisdiction over an ecclesiastical province in addition to their own archdi ...

of the

Archdiocese of Washington The Archdiocese of Washington is a Latin Church ecclesiastical territory or archdiocese of the Catholic Church in the United States. Its territorial remit encompasses the District of Columbia and the counties of Calvert, Charles, Montgomery, P ...

. The founders of the society were

Secretary of the Navy The secretary of the Navy (or SECNAV) is a statutory officer () and the head (chief executive officer) of the Department of the Navy, a military department (component organization) within the United States Department of Defense. By law, the se ...

John L. Sullivan John Lawrence Sullivan (October 15, 1858 – February 2, 1918), known simply as John L. among his admirers, and dubbed the "Boston Strong Boy" by the press, was an American boxer recognized as the first heavyweight champion of gloved boxing ...

, Judge

Matthew Francis McGuire Matthew Francis McGuire (May 30, 1898 – January 24, 1986) was a United States district judge of the United States District Court for the District of Columbia. Education and career Born in St. John's, Newfoundland,Newfoundland would not beco ...

of the

United States District Court for the District of Columbia The United States District Court for the District of Columbia (in case citations, D.D.C.) is a federal district court in the District of Columbia. It also occasionally handles (jointly with the United States District Court for the District of ...

, and attorney William E. Leahy. Part of the John Carroll Society's mission is the financial and professional support of the Archdiocese Legal Network and Medical Network, which provides free legal and medical services to the indigent of the Greater Washington, DC area. The current president is Jeff Paravano.

Magistrate Judge The term magistrate is used in a variety of systems of governments and laws to refer to a civilian officer who administers the law. In ancient Rome, a '' magistratus'' was one of the highest ranking government officers, and possessed both judici ...

John M. Facciola John M. Facciola (born in 1944) served as a United States magistrate judge for the United States District Court for the District of Columbia, from his appointment in August, 1997 until his retirement in December, 2014. Prior to being appointed to ...

served as a president and is the chair of the Social Action Committee, which is active in assisting homeless and transitional families in the District of Columbia. Other prominent members include the current president of Georgetown University, and many partners of the private bar with most major large Washington, D.C. law firms. The chaplain of the society is Msgr.

Peter Vaghi Peter Vaghi is a Catholic priest in the Archdiocese of Washington, an author, and a former lawyer associated with several noted American jurists. He is pastor of the Little Flower Parish in Bethesda, Maryland and was previously pastor of St. P ...

. Colleen Mudlaff is the Executive Director.{{cite web , title=Meet our Leadership , url=https://www.johncarrollsociety.org/what-is-jcs/meet-our-leadership , website=John Carroll Society , accessdate=16 November 2020 The group was meant to mirror the Catholic Alumni Society of Boston. It is named for

John Carroll John Carroll may refer to: People Academia and science *Sir John Carroll (astronomer) (1899–1974), British astronomer *John Alexander Carroll (died 2000), American history professor *John Bissell Carroll (1916–2003), American cognitive sci ...

, the first

bishop A bishop is an ordained clergy member who is entrusted with a position of authority and oversight in a religious institution. In Christianity, bishops are normally responsible for the governance of dioceses. The role or office of bishop is ca ...

then

in the

United States The United States of America (U.S.A. or USA), commonly known as the United States (U.S. or US) or America, is a country primarily located in North America. It consists of 50 states, a federal district, five major unincorporated territorie ...

. The society sponsors the annual

Red Mass A Red Mass is a Mass celebrated annually in the Roman Catholic Church for all members of the legal profession, regardless of religious affiliation: judges, lawyers, law school professors, law students, and government officials, marking the openin ...

, which is a Mass of the

Holy Spirit In Judaism, the Holy Spirit is the divine force, quality, and influence of God over the Universe or over his creatures. In Nicene Christianity, the Holy Spirit or Holy Ghost is the third person of the Trinity. In Islam, the Holy Spirit acts as ...

to invoke a

benediction A benediction (Latin: ''bene'', well + ''dicere'', to speak) is a short invocation for divine help, blessing and guidance, usually at the end of worship service. It can also refer to a specific Christian religious service including the expositio ...

upon the nation's judiciary and lawgivers. This is celebrated on the Sunday before the first Monday in October, prior to the opening of the Supreme Court's judicial year.

References

Catholic lay organisations Organizations based in Washington, D.C.