St. Patrick Parish Mass Intention Guidelines
The practice of requesting a Mass to be offered for loved ones, living or deceased, is a beautiful and meaningful part of our Catholic tradition. In our parish, we have many requests for scheduling such Mass intentions. We try to honor these to the best of our ability and in accordance with the Code of Canon Law for the universal Catholic Church. As such, the following guidelines have been implemented in order to accommodate the numerous requests in a reasonable and fair manner.
Requesting a Mass:
Anyone may request a Mass Intention for:
- A person who is living or deceased, Catholic or non-Catholic.
- Intentions for a particular persona/people.
- Intentions for members of a particular family/families.
- A special intention appropriate to the celebration of the Eucharist e.g.: World Peace, Vocations, Respect for Life, Souls in Purgatory, etc. These intentions should be general and not specific to an individual.
Mass Intentions will be honored in the parish office on a first-come, first-served basis, in the order in which the request is received. Requests for Mass intentions may be requested in person at the Parish Office or by mail. No intentions will be accepted over the phone.
When requesting more than one Mass, please use the Mass Intention Request Form. This form can be found in the Parish Office or, to download a copy, click here.
At the time the book opens for a new calendar year, each household or group may request a maximum of eight (8) Mass Intentions at one time, which includes three (3) weekend (Saturday or Sunday) and five (5) weekday (Monday through Friday) Masses. For additional Masses, each household or group may contact the Parish Office regarding availability.
Mass requests will be granted as close to the requested date and time as possible. If it is not possible to comply with the primary request, the next closest date will be scheduled.
A $10 stipend is suggested per Mass intention, as determined by Archdiocesan policy. A Mass offering may be more than the suggested stipend. Please write checks payable to St. Patrick Parish. However, no one will be denied a Mass intention because of inability to pay. Simply note this on the Mass Intention Request Form.
One Mass every Sunday is scheduled for the intentions of our parishioners known as “Pro Populo” (For the People) as required by the Church’s Canon Law.
Mass Intentions cannot be scheduled for Ash Wednesday, Holy Thursday, Good Friday, Holy Saturday, Easter Sunday, Mother’s Day, Father’s Day, All Saints Day, All Souls Day, and Christmas. These Masses will be celebrated for the general intentions of our parish.
Generally, the Mass intentions will be published in the parish bulletin and announced at each Mass.
Changes & Cancellations:
Once an intention has been added to the calendar, requests to change the date/time will not be accepted.
When public Mass is cancelled due to inclement weather, the Mass intention will be celebrated privately.
If a Mass is cancelled due to other unforeseen circumstances, the intention for the Mass will be rescheduled on the next available date.
The pastor reserves the right to reschedule a Mass intention due to unforeseen parish conflicts.
FOR A COPY OF THE ABOVE MASS INTENTION GUIDELINES, CLICK HERE.