November 9, 2026

The St. Thomas More Society honors four at 25th Annual Red Mass

REGIONAL
By Sharon Roulier

SPRINGFIELD – Red ties, blouses, jackets and vestments were sported during the annual spiritual celebration for the bench and the bar Nov. 8.

Monsignor John Bonzagni was the principal celebrant for the 25th Annual Red Mass at St. Michael’s Cathedral. It is sponsored annually by the St. Thomas More Society of the Diocese of Springfield and traditionally honors local members of the legal community.

The Red Mass is a historic tradition dating back to the 13th century, when the Catholic Church invoked the blessing and guidance of the Holy Spirit upon the courts, when it officially opened the term of the court for most European countries.

This tradition was introduced in the U.S. in 1928 in the Church of St. Andrew, located in New York City.

The Mass celebrates the ideals of St. Thomas More (1478-1535), the patron saint of lawyers. The Catholic saint opposed the Protestant Reformation and Henry VIII’s separation from the Catholic Church, refusing to acknowledge Henry as supreme head of the Church of England and the annulment of his marriage to Catherine of Aragon. After refusing to take the Oath of Supremacy, More was convicted of treason on what he stated was false evidence, and was executed. At his execution, he was reported to have said: “I die the King’s good servant, and God’s first.”

The St. Thomas More Society is made up of Catholic lawyers, paralegals, judges, clerks, law enforcement agents, and those committed to the administration of justice throughout western Massachusetts.

Each year, the society honors members of the legal community who have distinguished themselves by acts of public service and commitment to the law.

The 2026 Red Mass honorees were: Attorney Elizabeth Dineen, chief executive officer of the YWCA of Western Massachusetts; Attorney Laura S. Gentile, Hampden County Clerk of Courts; Attorney Corrine P. Ryan, managing attorney of Community Legal Aid; and Msgr. Christopher Connelly, co-pastor of Sacred Heart Parish in Springfield.

Attorney Gentile graduated from Cathedral High School in Springfield and earned a degree in English and teaching from Albertus Magnus College, followed by a Master of Public Administration from American International College. After serving as Assistant Director of Admissions at Springfield Technical Community College, she pursued a law degree at Western New England College and earned her Juris Doctor in 1991.

Gentile began her legal career at Santaniello, Posnick & Basile, P.C., practicing with her father, Robert M. Santaniello, and her brother, now Judge Robert T. Santaniello. In 1996, she joined the Hampden County Superior Court Clerk’s Office as an assistant clerk. After 16 years in that role, she was elected Hampden County Clerk of Courts in 2012 and began her tenure in 2013, a position she continues to hold.

“I’ve always wanted this award,” she told the Catholic Mirror. “I was brought up as a Catholic. I love the story of St. Thomas More.” And with tears in her eyes, she remembered her late mother, Barbara Santaniello, saying “My mother would have been so proud. So it’s really for her.”

Attorney Corrine P. Ryan is Managing Attorney of Community Legal Aid. A graduate of the College of the Holy Cross and Georgetown University Law Center, Ryan decided to pursue public interest law largely inspired by her Jesuit education. She joined Community Legal Aid (CLA), the free civil legal aid provider for low-income and elderly residents of central and western Massachusetts, one week after sitting for the bar exam in 2013. After practicing in disability benefits and education law, she was promoted in 2020.

She said receiving the St. Thomas More Award was a surprise and an honor.

“I attended the Red Mass in Washington D.C. in law school in 2012 with some of the Supreme Court and I thought it was the most amazing thing,” she said.

Born and raised in Ludlow, Ryan graduated from Ludlow High School. She lives in Longmeadow and belongs to Sacred Heart Church in Springfield.

“The work is really hard that we do at Legal Aid and it’s been particularly challenging over the last few years,” she said. “So this just such a nice reminder of why I’m doing it and why everyone that I work with is doing it.”

Monsignor Christopher Connelly, another honoree, is co-pastor of Sacred Heart Parish in Springfield. He was born and raised in Springfield’s East Forest Park neighborhood and attended Cathedral High School and Wilbraham & Monson Academy. He earned a bachelor’s degree in political science from Providence College and then entered Saint John Seminary in Brighton. The late Bishop John A. Marshall ordained him to the priesthood in June 1993. He has served at Holy Name Church in Springfield, St. Thomas the Apostle in West Springfield. Monsignor Connelly later served the Diocese of Springfield as ecclesiastical secretary and master of ceremonies to the bishop, vice-chancellor, co-chancellor, rector of Saint Michael’s Cathedral, and vicar general. He earned a Licentiate in Canon Law from The Catholic University of America in 2007 and was appointed a canonical judge in the Diocesan Tribunal that same year. Throughout more than 33 years of priestly ministry, he has brought both fidelity to canon law and pastoral compassion to his service, particularly in assisting people affected by failed marriages.

“They were kind enough to let me in and join them as a canon lawyer who works for God’s justice for all people,” said Monsignor Connelly, remembering the patron saint of the legal profession. “St. Thomas More was willing to give his life in the pursuit of justice and fairness and freedom.”

Attorney Dineen has served as Chief Executive Officer of the YWCA of Western Massachusetts since 2016. She leads a team of 150 employees whose work focuses primarily on assisting survivors of domestic violence, sexual assault, human trafficking, and homelessness. A strong advocate for women and children throughout her career, Dineen previously served Hampden County for 27 years as an Assistant District Attorney. As Chief of the Public Protection Unit, she prosecuted cases involving adult sexual assault, physical and sexual abuse of children, domestic violence-related murder, and child homicide. She later joined Bay Path University, where she served for six years as Chair of the Criminal Justice Department and taught in the Honors Program.

Raised in East Longmeadow, Dineen attended Cathedral High School before earning her undergraduate degree from Our Lady of the Elms College and her Juris Doctor from Western New England College School of Law. She credits integrity, compassion, and social justice as guiding values throughout her life in public service.

“I think this is probably the highest honor you can receive,” said Dineen of the St. Thomas More Award. “I was incredibly moved when I found out that I had been nominated.”

“The thing that made me so sad is that my parents, Jack and Dot Dineen, who have passed on would have been over the moon to see their daughter receive this honor,” she said. “This is something that’s deeply imbedded in my being, my spirit and my soul. So this is a beautiful honor.”

The Mass was followed by a brunch at Twin Hills Country Club in Longmeadow.