Photo by Michael Alexander

ATLANTA—Upcoming archdiocesan Masses will celebrate the work and ministry of laypeople in the church.

Those working or volunteering to help with environmental protection and sustainability are recognized at the Green Mass, celebrated on the feast of St. Francis, Friday, Oct. 4 at 12:10 p.m. at the Catholic Shrine of the Immaculate Conception, 48 Martin Luther King Jr. Drive SW, Atlanta. Bishop Bernard E. Shlesinger III will be the principal celebrant. A luncheon will follow featuring Georgia-grown produce.

“We invite you to join us for this special Mass, on the feast day of St. Francis, as we share in the beauty of God’s creation and pray for those who work diligently to protect our planet,” said Kat Doyle, director of Justice and Peace Ministries for the Atlanta Archdiocese.

The St. Thomas More Society of Atlanta will host the annual Red Mass for all judges, lawyers, law students and other legal professionals to celebrate the beginning of a new judicial year. The Mass will be at 11 a.m. on Thursday, Oct. 10 at the Basilica of the Sacred Heart of Jesus, 353 Peachtree St. NE, Atlanta.

The Red Mass tradition began more than 750 years ago in Europe. Its name refers to the scarlet robes of judges who attended the Mass centuries ago and the color of vestments worn by those celebrating.

An awards luncheon will follow the Mass to honor Chief Louis M. Dekmar, chief of police for the LaGrange Police Department, Susan Jamieson from the Atlanta Legal Aid Society and the Honorable Robert Benham, justice for the Supreme Court of Georgia.

The luncheon will be at Capital City Club, 7 John Portman Blvd. NW, Atlanta. It is free for paid members of the St. Thomas More Society and $45 for others. For more information, visit stm-atlanta.org.

The White Mass returns this year to celebrate all medical professionals. The Mass will be at 8:30 a.m. on Saturday, Oct. 12 at St. Catherine of Siena Church, 1618 Ben King Road, Kennesaw. The event will begin with Mass, followed by breakfast and a presentation by Sister Mary Diana Dreger, OP, MD on “The Joy of New Wine: Catholic Medicine as an Antidote to Burnout.” The Atlanta Guild of the Catholic Medical Association and Respect Life Ministry of the Archdiocese of Atlanta sponsor this event.

Sister Mary Diana is a member of the Dominican Sisters of the Congregation of St. Cecilia in Nashville, Tennessee. She is a physician, practicing internal medicine since 2007. Sister Mary Diana currently practices with St. Martin Medical Care, caring for her sisters in Nashville.