Judges from around Georgia attended the 2019 Red Mass at the Basilica of the Sacred Heart of Jesus in downtown Atlanta on Oct. 10, followed by an awards luncheon at the Capital City Club. This year's award recipients were Georgia Supreme Court Justice Robert Benham, Susan Jamieson of the Atlanta Legal Aid Society and LaGrange police Chief Louis Dekmar. The annual Mass and luncheon are sponsored by the Atlanta chapter of the St. Thomas More Society, a Catholic nonprofit. The Red Mass tradition began more than 750 years ago in Europe. Its name refers to the scarlet robes of the judges who attended the Mass centuries ago, as well as the color of the vestments worn by those celebrating the Mass. The first recorded Red Mass celebration in the United States occurred in 1928 at St. Andrew's Church in New York City. The Red Mass has been celebrated in an increasing number of cities across the country. The Washington Red Mass has been especially noteworthy since that city's celebration began in 1953. The president of the United States, members of the U.S. Supreme Court, judges, Cabinet officials, members of Congress and diplomats have attended the Washington event, held on the Sunday before the opening of the Supreme Court's new October term. Since 1995, Atlanta's St. Thomas More Society has embraced this tradition by sponsoring the Red Mass.