Annual Red Mass, honoring those in the legal field, to be held Sunday

The St. Thomas More Society of Worcester County will honor four individuals at its 67th annual Red Mass on Sunday, Oct. 26 at 10 a.m. at the St. Paul Cathedral in Worcester. A brunch following the Mass will be held in the cenacle on the lower level of the Cathedral.  
Following are this year’s honorees.

Distinguished Judicial Officer Award

Attorney Joseph T. Moriarty has served with distinction as an Assistant Clerk Magistrate in the District Court Department of the Massachusetts Trial Court for twelve years. During his tenure as an Assistant Clerk Magistrate, Joe has conducted himself with the utmost sense of fairness and respect toward those he encounters on the job. Prior to ascending to the post of Assistant Clerk Magistrate, Mr. Moriarty was an Assistant District Attorney in Worcester for more than 20 years.  Attorney Joseph T. Moriarty
As an Assistant District Attorney, Mr. Moriarty prosecuted some of the most serious offenses, including more than 20 homicides. His work as a prosecutor was guided by a focus on a quest for the truth, and garnered the respect and admiration of those he had dealings with. During his time in Worcester, Mr. Moriarty would often walk from the old courthouse to St. Paul Cathedral on his lunch hour to attend mid-day Mass.

A native son of Leominster, Mr. Moriarty grew up in St. Anna Parish where he and his family were active in parish life. He graduated from St. Bernard’s High School, where he was a standout member of the hockey team, eventually becoming a member of the St. Bernard’s Athletic Hall of Fame. Mr. Moriarty furthered his education at Fitchburg State College and Suffolk University Law School.  

Mr. Moriarty and his wife, Diana, reside in Lunenberg and are regular communicants at Immaculate Conception Parish in Lancaster and St. Cecilia Parish in Leominster.  

Msgr. F. Stephen Pedone Distinguished Attorney Award

Attorney Robert B. Gibbons is a resident of Clinton and parishioner at St. John, Guardian of our Lady Parish. Mr. Gibbons and his wife, Mary, are very active in parish life and are regular participants in Eucharistic Adoration at St. John’s, covering an hour time slot each week.  Attorney Robert B. Gibbons
A graduate of Worcester Polytechnic Institute, UMass Lowell, and Suffolk University Law School, Mr. Gibbons began his professional career as a manager for General Electric Aircraft Engines, before embarking on his distinguished career in the law.  He is a long time partner at Mirick in Worcester, where he handles a broad range of business matters involving commercial contracts, banking, construction, commercial landlord-tenant disputes, complex collections, and fiduciary fraud. In recognition of his professional accomplishments, Mr. Gibbons has been named a Massachusetts Super Lawyer by Boston Magazine and Law & Politics from 2014-2025.

Mr. Gibbons is also very active in civic affairs. He is in his sixth term as the elected town counsel in Clinton. He has also volunteered his time and talents as a member of the Finance Committee and the Elementary School Building Committee for the Town of Clinton.
Mr. and Mrs. Gibbons are the proud parents of three adult sons.  

Distinguished Catholic Layperson Award

Liliana C. Menard is a graduate of Milford High School, UMass Amherst, and Salem State University.  She is a licensed certified social worker.Liliana C. MenardMrs. Menard grew up in Milford where she was an altar server and active in parish life at St. Mary of the Assumption Parish. Currently she is a member of St. Mary Parish in Uxbridge, where she regularly attends Mass with her husband, Jason, and their son, Caden. She and her family are active parishoners serving as lectors and assisting with weekly collections. Caden is a student at Our Lady of the Valley Regional School, where Mrs. Menard is a regular parent volunteer. As her faith is a central focus of her life, Mrs. Menard has taken numerous pilgrimages to Fatima to visit the site in Portugal where Mary appeared to three local shepherd children in 1917.

Prior to working as a Probation Officer, Mrs. Menard was a substance abuse counselor at Wayside Youth & Family Support Network and at Community Impact, Inc. As a Probation Officer, she is tasked with mediating complex domestic relations cases and conducting court ordered investigations on child custody matters. In her time in this post, she has distinguished herself as someone extremely adept at the job, while always treating people with an unfailing level of respect and courtesy. Her patience and professionalism is evident in all of her dealings, and she has earned the deep respect of the bar, her courthouse colleagues, the bench and the many litigants she serves.  

Bishop Bernard J. Flanagan Ecumenical Award

Attorney Mark A. Borenstein is a graduate of the University of Massachusetts at Amherst and Western New England University School of Law. He is admitted to practice in Massachusetts, New York and the U.S. District Court for the District of Massachusetts. Mark is a partner at Prince Lobel and works primarily in its real estate practice group. Attorney Borenstein represents clients in complex land use matters, permitting and the development of commercial, mixed use, life science and institutional projects across Central Massachusetts. In 2024, Mr. Borenstein was named by Super Lawyers as a “rising star” in the area of land use/zoning. Previously, Mr. Borenstein worked at Bowditch & Dewey.  Attorney Mark A. Borenstein
An active member of Congregation Beth Israel, Mr. Borenstein has also been active in civic, professional and Jewish affairs in Worcester. A lifelong resident of the city, his past and present leadership positions in the community include the following: member of the Board of Directors of Downtown Worcester Business Improvement District; co-chair of the Worcester County Bar Association‘s Municipal Law and Government Relations sections; executive board member of the Worcester County Bar Association; Corporator and Trustee of the Worcester Historical Museum; director of Jewish Healthcare Center, Inc.; Corporator of the Greater Worcester Community Foundation; officer and director of Worcester Walls; and Trustee of the Feiga-Olch Scholarship.  

Mr. Borenstein and his wife, Morgan, live in Worcester and are the parents of a newborn daughter, Eloise.

The St. Thomas More Society is founded upon the personal qualities exhibited by St. Thomas More, a statesman, author and former chancellor of England. St. Thomas More was beatified in 1886 and canonized by Pope Pius XI in 1935.  

The Red Mass is open to the public. The term “Red Mass” is named after the color of the vestments worn by the celebrants and judges attending the King’s bench in Westminster, England. In keeping with tradition, the deep red vestments are still worn each year at the Red Mass.  

Those interested in attending the reception following the Red Mass may contact Attorney Thomas V. Murray, Jr. at 508-754-4900 or at [email protected]. There is a $75 cost to attend the reception.