Having a Mass offered

[Ladybird4]

Hi all!

I am wondering if I wanted to have a mass said for several family mbrs some living some dead does it matter if the mass is at my local church or if I find one that allows you to set it up online? I know the church book for masses is very far out and I feel weird if I want to have 10 masses said taking all those spots in a large church. Also, how often do you have masses offered for loved ones dead and alive? When you have found a site from a church or shrine that offers masses said for your intentions does it make a difference if it is a “bulk” (for lack of a better word) or is it preferrable to have 1 mass 1 intention?

Thanks,
Seana

 

[bmonk]

Hi all!

I am wondering if I wanted to have a mass said for several family mbrs some living some dead does it matter if the mass is at my local church or if I find one that allows you to set it up online? I know the church book for masses is very far out and I feel weird if I want to have 10 masses said taking all those spots in a large church. Also, how often do you have masses offered for loved ones dead and alive? When you have found a site from a church or shrine that offers masses said for your intentions does it make a difference if it is a “bulk” (for lack of a better word) or is it preferrable to have 1 mass 1 intention?

Thanks,
Seana

If your local church has too many intentions, there are always other options. Many missionary orders or missionary dioceses welcome masses, because they rarely have a surplus. It becomes an important source of support for them. If you are close to a religious order–physically or spiritually–they also often welcome masses. Even in a diocese with large parishes, there are rural parishes that may need masses; your pastor (or diocesan officials) may help you find places that can use them.

How often to offer a mass–or how many total–is up to the individual, but you may ask the priest in question how many seem reasonable. As for how many a mass may be offered for, I think a specific person or group is best-- “+Joe Smith”, or “+Joe Smith Family members” – but it’s your offering, and your choice. God’s mercy is infinite, but our ability to ask and make intentions does have limits.

 

[Joe_Kelley]

Many parishes have too many requests; so will limit how many one person can request. Here, at least and I think elsewhere, they cannot book masses more than a year in advance. If they have too many they will pass them off to monasteries and other parishes.

I go to my parish if I need a mass card to send to the family or such. Otherwise, I go to the Missionaries of Africa on line. * I think they will provide a mass card, but I don’t need them for these intentions. [Often they would not be appreciated ] Their missionaries are provided food and shelter, but depend on mass stipends for the rest of their needs.*