having a mass said for someone

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Hi, I was wondering about having a mass said for someone. I know most churches charge a fee (although on EWTN they said they should waive it if you have hardship) but I wondered how much different churches charge. Mine is only 10.00 but my mom told me hers in an adjoining town is 25.00! She has a mass said for my Dad on TV because it’s only 10.00 and she can’t afford 25.00. I told her to tell them that, but she was embarassed. Is this an average fee?

Also I was wondering if other protestant religions have masses said too if anyone knows. Thanks for an information.
 
I live in Caliornia and all the Catholic Parishes in my town charge $5.00 or whatever amount you want to give. I like to have Masses offered for my loved ones and the Souls in Purgatory.

It is a very noble thing to have Masses offered for someone dead or alive, but it is of even more value for those alive.

“The Holy Mass would be of greater profit if people had it offered in their lifetime, rather than having it celebrated for the relief of their souls after death.” Pope Benedict XV

…sorry, I don’t know anything about protestants.
 
That seems reasonable…I always wondered why all the masses seemed to be for the dead. My sister had her cancer return and I would like to have one for her, but some might think it’s morbid. I think that is because it it not what they see a lot but like you said, it is a wonderful idea to help souls that are still alive too.

I did find my answer to the Prostestant view:

Thus Protestants normally object to anything that looks like Purgatory, as well as prayers for the dead. It is often said that prayers for the dead suggest a lack of trust in God, since God will judge them justly.

You can see the difference clearly if you attend both Protestant and Catholic worship services. When someone in the congregation has died, Catholics will ask for prayers for them and their family, while Protestants will ask only for prayers for their family.

Despite the rejection of Purgatory, many Protestant groups are still concerned to maintain accountability for what has been done during life. Many Protestants believe that there will be different levels of honor in heaven. Many Protestants also believe that even saved people will go through a process where their entire lives are reviewed and judged, even though their final destination is not in doubt. This is sometimes described as the “bema seat judgement”. As a result of it, Christ’s followers will be rewarded according to the quality of their work. This is contrasted to the “great white throne” judgement, which determines whether someone will spend eternity in heaven or hell.
 
We have a large number of masses for the living in our parish. They may be for someone that is sick, for an anniversary, for someone who is retiring from parish work, etc.

Recently I was invited to an anniversary party that specified* no gifts.* I got them a mass card, which was much appreciated.

The ssuggested offering is set by the diocese. This is not required, just suggested. See Canon Law. In our diocese, and many with which I am familiar, it is $10.
 
debraran said:
Hi, I was wondering about having a mass said for someone. I know most churches charge a fee (although on EWTN they said they should waive it if you have hardship) but I wondered how much different churches charge. Mine is only 10.00 but my mom told me hers in an adjoining town is 25.00! She has a mass said for my Dad on TV because it’s only 10.00 and she can’t afford 25.00. I told her to tell them that, but she was embarassed. Is this an average fee?

Also I was wondering if other protestant religions have masses said too if anyone knows. Thanks for an information.
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In Britain it is about ten pounds, or twenty dollars. If you can’t afford it offer to pay the priest in kind with a homemade cake or something. It is less embarrassing than asking for a reduction.
 
debraran said:
Hi, I was wondering about having a mass said for someone. I know most churches charge a fee (although on EWTN they said they should waive it if you have hardship) but I wondered how much different churches charge. Mine is only 10.00 but my mom told me hers in an adjoining town is 25.00! She has a mass said for my Dad on TV because it’s only 10.00 and she can’t afford 25.00. I told her to tell them that, but she was embarassed. Is this an average fee?

Also I was wondering if other protestant religions have masses said too if anyone knows. Thanks for an information.
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I purchase all my mass intentions from CNEWA…

cnewa.org/generalpg-verus.aspx?pageID=167

This includes Gregorian Masses.

$5/mass is QUITE reasonable, in my opinion, and CNEWA is a good cause.
 
Be aware that Protestant funeral services in some congregations aren’t as solemn as they used to be. In Chicago during the 1960s, my Protestant friend’s mom committed suicide. Her memorial service was black, solemn and traditional. Fast-forward to the present: my daughter’s Protestant classmate, active in youth ministry, killed herself in an automobile while in despair. It may or may not have been suicide. The family DID NOT have a memorial service. They held a “life celebration” in their worship space, which was basically a theme party with rap music, song, dance, food, and home movies on a TV screen. Protestants presume their loved ones are automatically saved, so it’s no wonder some families think solemnity isn’t necessary. While these celebrations provide a brief diversion from grieving, they are worthless to souls in purgatory, besides being presumptive of direct assent into heaven. It’s our duty as Catholics to have masses said for Protestant friends, since their families aren’t expected to posess the fullness of truth. Expect any kind of response if you send the family a mass card. I never got an acknowledgement from the classmate’s father; I presume it’s because he was offended. However, I got thanked by a Protestant acqauintance when I had a mass said for her baby who died suddenly; so you can never be certain how they will react.
 
I had a Mass offered once for the conversion of my boyfriend. He has since become a lot less anti-Catholic! :extrahappy:
 
Holly3278 said:
I had a Mass offered once for the conversion of my boyfriend. He has since become a lot less anti-Catholic! :extrahappy:
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Sounds like you should have a few more offered. Of course, don’t offer too many or he might decide to become a priest. 😃
 
debraran said:
Hi, I was wondering about having a mass said for someone. I know most churches charge a fee (although on EWTN they said they should waive it if you have hardship) but I wondered how much different churches charge. Mine is only 10.00 but my mom told me hers in an adjoining town is 25.00! She has a mass said for my Dad on TV because it’s only 10.00 and she can’t afford 25.00. I told her to tell them that, but she was embarassed. Is this an average fee?

Also I was wondering if other protestant religions have masses said too if anyone knows. Thanks for an information.
Click to expand...
no Catholic church charges a fee for Mass.
priests accept stipends, which is a token amount, usually $5 or less, or the equivalent, reminiscent of the days when this was the priest’s sole means of support. Donations received during Mass are still the main means of paying the expenses of maintaining and running a parish. No Catholic priest will turn you away if you can’t pay anything. Simply ask. However, a priest can only accept one stipend for each Mass, so if all the requested dates he says Mass are taken, you can ask at other parishes, or from missionary societies who accept the stipends for support of their evangelization efforts and give the intentions to their member priests.

The only other religion that celebrates Mass which is truly Mass,wherein bread and wine are truly actually consecrated and become the Body and Blood of Chris (only they call it divine liturgy), are the Orthodox, and I don’t know their policies.
 
SORROWS said:
I live in Caliornia and all the Catholic Parishes in my town charge $5.00 or whatever amount you want to give. I like to have Masses offered for my loved ones and the Souls in Purgatory.

It is a very noble thing to have Masses offered for someone dead or alive, but it is of even more value for those alive.

“The Holy Mass would be of greater profit if people had it offered in their lifetime, rather than having it celebrated for the relief of their souls after death.” Pope Benedict XV

…sorry, I don’t know anything about protestants.
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" but it is of even more value for those alive."…could not agree with you more. Some people are shocked when you offer Mass for a living person, but then again the person’s soul is dead.

Joe Miranda
 
I realize church’s don’t charge for the mass per se, but I’ve never had anyone say, when asking, “Well, if you can afford it, it’s 20.00”. It makes you feel funny saying, “Well, can I give 10.00?” Also, when a bulletin announces raising the cost…what are you to think?

Maybe they should reword it, but if it’s a donation, how can you raise the cost?
 
SORROWS said:
, but it is of even more value for those alive.
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🙂 Someone in the tortures of purgatory would disagree. It’s guaranteed that the grace God given a person in purgatory will help him get to heaven. On Earth, a person can still choose to not accept the grace. A Mass offering is quite powerful and it never hurts.
 
debraran said:
I realize church’s don’t charge for the mass per se, but I’ve never had anyone say, when asking, “Well, if you can afford it, it’s 20.00”. It makes you feel funny saying, “Well, can I give 10.00?” Also, when a bulletin announces raising the cost…what are you to think?

Maybe they should reword it, but if it’s a donation, how can you raise the cost?
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I have said exactly that…“I have $10 in my purse, is that OK?” and the secretary said of course! Here you fill out an envelope with the information (form printed on the outside of the envelope) and then put the money in so at the moment of asking no one really knows what you’ve put it. If you’d like a specific date (instead of “first available”), it is a good idea to ask well in advance.
 
Thanks, I will do that, more my feelings of asking for less and I do use online sources that are less.
I thought if it wasn’t a charge but a donation, they would leave it up to you, but again, it’s a revenue for many.
 
debraran said:
Hi, I was wondering about having a mass said for someone. I know most churches charge a fee (although on EWTN they said they should waive it if you have hardship) but I wondered how much different churches charge. Mine is only 10.00 but my mom told me hers in an adjoining town is 25.00! She has a mass said for my Dad on TV because it’s only 10.00 and she can’t afford 25.00. I told her to tell them that, but she was embarassed. Is this an average fee?

Also I was wondering if other protestant religions have masses said too if anyone knows. Thanks for an information.
Click to expand...
I’ve never asked how much. I just put down a ten dollar bill and she tells me thank you. I think ten dollars is reasonable. If you can do more, do more. If you can’t I’m very sure that would always be OK. It shouldn’t ever be refused because someone can’t afford to pay the normal stipend. :signofcross:
 
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