"This Mass is Offered For..."

The Mass intentions book for a given calendar year opens up on the first business day in July of the preceding year.

When the Holy Sacrifice of the Mass is offered, heaven and earth are united, Christ’s Body and Blood are made present, and the eternal effects of Calvary penetrate into time. The effects of the Mass are immeasurable, as is the grace that is shared by those who prayerfully assist at Mass. When the priest offers Mass, he generally has three intentions. First, he must intend to offer the Mass validly and reverently according to the rite of Holy Mother Church. Secondly, he must intend to offer the Mass in union with the entire Church and for the good of the Body of Christ. Thirdly, the priest offers the Mass for a particular intention, such as the happy repose of a departed soul or the intentions of an individual or group. These are the “ministerial fruits” of the Mass. The priest forms an intention to “direct” the fruits of the Mass for the good of the one (or many) for whom the Mass is offered. According to ancient custom, the faithful may provide for the Mass to be celebrated for their intentions through a donation to the minister who celebrates the Mass. That Mass stipend goes directly to the priest who has celebrated that Mass for that particular intention.

In a parish setting here in the United States, it is atypical for a priest to accept Mass offerings directly. Rather, the parish office keeps a schedule of all the Masses that will be offered that year and tells the parish priest for whom he is offering the parish Mass. Church law stipulates certain details about how parishes are to manage the requests for Mass to be offered, including the customary donation to provide for the Mass to be offered. In the Diocese of Charlotte, it is customary to give at least $10 to provide for the celebration of the Holy Mass.

In order for everyone to have an opportunity to request Mass for their intentions, the parish is implementing the following policy (for the calendar year beginning January 2025):

• Each family may request up to three (3) Masses at one time; of these three Masses, a family cannot reserve more than one Sunday Mass or Holy Day.
• After four (4) weeks, the same family may request three (3) more Masses, according to the same limitations regarding Sundays and Holy Days.
• No family may request more than six (6) Masses in the calendar year.
• Mass intentions will be reserved for a particular person (living or dead) or group of persons (living or dead); masses may not be reserved for general, unspecified intentions (ex.: “In thanksgiving for favors received” or “For a special intention”).

There are certain days of the liturgical year wherein the priest is obliged by the Church to offer Masses for a particular intention. Those days/Masses are not allowed to be reserved by the faithful. The pastor of the parish is obliged by Church law to celebrate himself or provide for the celebration of a “pro populo” Mass every Sunday and Solemnity. This Mass is offered for the good of all in the parish and is noted in our bulletin and announcements as “Parishioners of Holy Cross.”