ATLANTA—The St. Thomas More Society’s annual Red Mass, celebrated Oct. 9 at the Cathedral of Christ the King, signifies the beginning of a judicial calendar year. 

Judges, attorneys and others who administer justice came together for the Mass, celebrated by Archbishop Gregory J. Hartmayer, OFM Conv. Father Michael Onyekuru, judicial vicar of the Metropolitan Tribunal, was the homilist. 

Clergy members wore red vestments, representing the outpouring of the Holy Spirit upon God’s people, while the judges wore robes and red stoles. 

The Red Mass, celebrated for those working in law, dates to the early 1300s in England. 

Since 1993, Atlanta’s St. Thomas More Society has embraced the tradition by sponsoring the Mass. The St. Thomas More Society of Atlanta was formed in 1993 by a group of Catholic lawyers, seeking to inspire those intellectual, spiritual and moral qualities that were exemplified in the life of its patron saint. The organization also gathers to discuss issues of law, ethics and morality and has a monthly prayer breakfast. 

An awards luncheon at Atlanta’s Capital City Club followed and honored three leaders. The 2025 St. Thomas More Society award recipients are: 

Judge Rachelle Carnesale—Superior Court of Fulton County 

Rachelle Carnesale is a judge serving on the Superior Court of Fulton County. She was appointed to the bench in 2019, after serving many years as a prosecutor specializing in child abuse and other crimes against children. She also served as the statewide director of several agencies and programs including the Georgia Division of Family and Children Services, the Office of the Child Advocate, the Georgia Child Death Investigation Program and the Child Fatality Review Program.  

In 2021, Judge Carnesale began overseeing the My Journey Matters accountability court program. This program is an alternative to long term incarceration for young criminal offenders facing mandatory sentences. The program focuses on education, job training and accountability to offer an opportunity for a second chance to offenders. 

Judge Carnesale expanded My Journey Matters to include a parenting program providing support and skills training for participants. She established a supply room with donated essentials such as diapers and baby formula for participants and their children. The donations are often organized by high school students as part of the judge’s continuing commitment to exposing youth to the criminal justice system through internships and volunteer opportunities.  

The judge was born in Wyoming. She earned her bachelor’s degree from the University of North Carolina-Chapel Hill, and her law degree from Emory University School of Law. 

Roland Behm—Georgia Mental Health Policy Partnership 

Roland Behm is a graduate of Southern Methodist University, who earned his J.D. from the University of Georgia School of Law in 1987.  

After practicing as a partner at Squire Sanders in Washington, D.C., Behm served as director of corporate transactions at MCI and as head of legal compliance at Nokia Siemens Networks, Atlanta. 

Behm has spent the past 14 years in mental health advocacy. Since 2011, he has chaired the board of directors at the Georgia chapter of the American Foundation for Suicide Prevention. He co-founded the Georgia Mental Health Policy Partnership, which in 2022 helped secure the unanimous passage of the Georgia Mental Health Parity Act—a law that bars insurers and Medicaid managed care organizations from diagnosis-based discrimination and anchors coverage decisions in independent, evidence-based standards.  

Since 2022, Behm has continued his advocacy to ensure meaningful enforcement of the act so that Georgia’s children and families may obtain medically necessary mental health care amid rising levels of depression, anxiety, eating disorders and school disruptions. 

Vanessa Russell, Catholic Charities Atlanta 

Vanessa Russell has served as chief executive officer of Catholic Charities Atlanta since 2015. Catholic Charities Atlanta has served greater Atlanta for more than 75 years by offering programs and assistance to empower the most vulnerable. Catholic Charities Atlanta has eight service areas and more than 20 programs that emphasize a holistic approach to helping those in need, including housing services, support for refugees, counseling and parenting programs, food security and resource services, educational support, financial literacy programs, immigration services and veterans’ programs.  

Russell oversaw Catholic Charities’ transition, beginning in 2018, to a case management model to aim for long-term positive outcomes for those served. Her leadership has allowed Catholic Charities to grow while navigating the challenges of the pandemic and ever-changing political and economic environments, while maintaining a steadfast focus on helping others.  

Russell previously held executive positions in corporations such as Dun & Bradstreet. She earned her bachelor’s degree from the University of New Orleans and attends All Saints Church, Dunwoody. 

At the luncheon, Russell said it was inspiring to hear about the work of the other honorees in providing transformative second chances to others. In accepting her award, named for St. Francis of Assisi, Russell said she was honored to stand before a community that seeks justice, truth and mercy. 

“This honor though really belongs not to me but it really belongs to the people who make it happen every day at Catholic Charities—that’s the volunteers, the staff, the donors who work endlessly to really help our clients most in need with a hand up so they can succeed,” said Russell.