Mass Intentions

Bulletin Letter, Ordinary Sunday 12B

One responsibility of the pastor of the eight parishes in our Saint Martin of Tours Pastorate is to offer—or have another priest offer—one of the Masses for all the people of the parishes, on every Sunday and holy day of obligation. This Mass is usually referred to as the Missa Pro Populo, Latin for the Mass “for the people.” We’ve been scheduling these Masses at Saint Benedict Parish, but the intention includes all the parishes entrusted to Father Tom’s care. What many do not often consider is that the “people of the parishes” includes everyone who lives within the parish boundaries, whether they are Catholic or not, whether they are registered members in one of our parishes or elsewhere. 

There is just one Church that Jesus founded upon the Apostles as the sacrament of salvation for all the world, the Mystical Body of Christ that continues down to our own day as the Roman Catholic Church. The one perfect Sacrifice of Christ made present in every Catholic Mass was entrusted to His Apostles at the Last Supper to be regularly celebrated, continuing Christ’s work of redemption in the world today. The fruits of the Mass benefit everyone in the territory—and indeed the whole Church of God—and call down God’s blessings upon all the land. 

Other Masses celebrated are usually offered for particular intentions, by request, and often accompanied by a stipend or offering to the parish from the one requesting. These intentions are listed next to the schedule of Masses in the bulletins or on a Mass intentions sheet. I’m not in the habit of announcing the intention, and it is not necessary to do so. Not everyone who requests a Mass wants the intention announced, and if the person being prayed for is still living, it can cause concern or confusion. There’s also the possibility of my reading the wrong line and announcing the wrong intention. Rest assured that each Mass is offered for the intention listed, so please consult the lists that are made available if you prefer to know the particular intention. 

Many who request Masses have certain dates or locations where they’d like the Mass offered, but this is not always possible, especially when requests include a large number of Masses. There are only so many Masses scheduled in each place. The benefit of Christ’s Sacrifice reaches the intended parties regardless of the time or place of the Mass. 

Church law also requires each requested intention to be fulfilled within one year from the date on which the request was made. If too many Masses are requested for us to fit in within the year, we have to send the remaining stipends to other priests (often retired) who will be able to offer the Masses in time. The standard suggested stipend for each Mass in this diocese is ten dollars, but a larger stipend can be offered for each Mass, especially when offering a larger sum if there is concern for fitting them in within the year and keeping the full gift local to support the parish.