MASS STIPENDS, INTENTIONS – Do’s and Don’ts

Dear readers,

Occasionally someone sends a donation but it is marked for Mass intentions.

You should never send money for Mass intentions without first discussing it with the priest involved.  Perhaps sending to an order or institute, sure, you can do that: they can find a priest within the group who can say the Mass.

However, don’t assume that an individual priest is able to accept the intentions: his schedule might be full.

This has happened twice in this last week or so.

Sending money without first communicating about it places the priest in an awkward situation.  If he accepts the money, knowing you sent it for Mass intentions, he is obliged either to say the Masses himself or to find another priest and give the stipend to him.   There are quite strict rules about this, and for good reason.

So, please do not send Mass intentions/stipends without first contacting me (or any priest) and coming to a clear agreement about your desires and his availability.

This is a problem.  With the decline in the number of priests, there is also a decline in the number of Masses.  Also, priests in parishes often have little or no control over their Mass intentions or what they, personally, can accept as a stipend, because these things are regulated by their dioceses.  Often there isn’t “room” in the parish Mass schedule for people’s intentions.  And yet people would like to have Masses said, in particular for their lost loved ones.

Pray for an increase in vocations.