A Little Background on Mass Intentions

We Catholics believe in the power of prayer. Members of our parish family often ask for prayer for particular causes: We have an active Prayer Chain, and many who pass through our church entry write thanks and needs into our Book of Prayer.

For us, the highest, most sanctifying prayer is the Mass. In our tradition, the prayer of all present at Mass is united in the priest who enacts the Holy Eucharist in our midst. We believe that a special grace comes from dedicating the prayer intention of a Mass.

Many Mass Intentions are petitions for the souls of people who have died. Intentions of thanks or celebration are also welcome.

Our experience is that we receive more requests for Mass Intentions than we have Masses. So we have published the policy at right.

Parish Policy on Mass Intentions

1. Because we receive more requests than we can fulfill, we try to accommodate as many people as possible. When a family or an individual requests many Mass intentions, the parish may ask if there is a willingness to forward them to a neighboring parish, a retired priest, or a priest living in the missions.
2. An individual (or a family) may request as many Mass intentions as they wish. However, in consideration of the needs of the parish and of others interested in scheduling a Mass intention, a maximum of six (6) Masses can be offered at MMOC within a given year, which includes Masses at Hillview Health Care Center. The only exception will be for recent funerals in which a maximum of twenty (20) Masses can be offered at MMOC and Hillview.
3. Mass intentions will be scheduled within 12 months of the date the request is made. The only exception will be for recent funerals in which a full 24-month period may be needed, with one of them being scheduled on a weekday closest to the one-year anniversary of death.
4. If there are more Mass intentions requested than the maximum number of this policy, they will be forwarded to another priest and these Mass intentions (and the names of the donors) will be published in the bulletin, but not the date and location of the Mass.
5. Mass intentions are filled on a first-come-first-served basis.
6. No more than two Mass intentions can be requested for weekend Masses or Holy Day Masses per year.
7. The date of the Mass intention is subject to change.
8. The suggested offering is $10.00 per Mass requested.
9. Mass intentions are published in our bulletin with the name(s) of the person(s) requesting the Mass.
10. It is the responsibility of the person requesting the Mass intention to contact those they wish to be notified of the date and time of the Mass.
11. Though the Mass intention need not be announced at the Mass; it is normally included as part of the Prayer of the Faithful.