How to ask priest for more Masses?

[Lead_Me_Home]

There are limited priests in my diocese to the number of parishes. I guess that’s pretty much the norm now in the U.S. The pastor of my parish is also the pastor of another parish, we share. The other parish has eight masses a week and my parish has one. I don’t mean to sound juvenile, but to me it’s like the elephant in the room. If a person can not make the one parish Mass of the week on Sunday morning the person has to go to another parish. The priest is often at my parish during the week, but he only prays the Mass once at our parish.

A number of people like myself can’t make the one Mass a week scheduled on Sunday. I can only make it to my parish twice a month at best. I am only asking for a Saturday Vigil Mass, which would still leave the other parish with 6 more Masses a week. Is there an official or suggested way of requesting more Masses?

 

[Heliotropium]

Unfortunately this situation is very common. The priest can only say a certain amount of Masses (canon law). To do more he will have to get permission from Rome but regardless I would bring the issue up with your Bishop.

 

[laszlo]

I would ask the pastor, what is the reason of the inequality on the Masses.

Also if you want Saturday evening Mass, try to make a petition signed by at least 50 people who also want this. Also Sunday evening Mass is a possibility.

 

[FAB]

There are limited priests in my diocese to the number of parishes. I guess that’s pretty much the norm now in the U.S. The pastor of my parish is also the pastor of another parish, we share. The other parish has eight masses a week and my parish has one. I don’t mean to sound juvenile, but to me it’s like the elephant in the room. If a person can not make the one parish Mass of the week on Sunday morning the person has to go to another parish. The priest is often at my parish during the week, but he only prays the Mass once at our parish.

A number of people like myself can’t make the one Mass a week scheduled on Sunday. I can only make it to my parish twice a month at best. I am only asking for a Saturday Vigil Mass, which would still leave the other parish with 6 more Masses a week. Is there an official or suggested way of requesting more Masses?

You can ask, but it is encumbent on you to find a way to mass, not for the preist to make it more convenient. There are storines from around the world an dfrom the past of the faithfull who will travel miles to attend mass. There are those who also face dangers, but still find a way to attend. I can understand the difficulty. My father may times had to work on Sunday, yet he also found a way to attend mass, if not at our parish, at another. Pray about your situation and God will lead you to an answer.

 

[puzzleannie]

There are limited priests in my diocese to the number of parishes. I guess that’s pretty much the norm now in the U.S. The pastor of my parish is also the pastor of another parish, we share. ?

go to Mass at the other parish or any other neighboring parish. Yes, this is the way it is and is going to be in the foreseeable future in many dioceses of the US. There are only so many hours on the weekend that your one priest can say Mass before he drops dead. Then where would you be?

 

[Lead_Me_Home]

You can ask, but it is encumbent on you to find a way to mass, not for the preist to make it more convenient. There are storines from around the world an dfrom the past of the faithfull who will travel miles to attend mass. There are those who also face dangers, but still find a way to attend. I can understand the difficulty. My father may times had to work on Sunday, yet he also found a way to attend mass, if not at our parish, at another. Pray about your situation and God will lead you to an answer.

This isn’t about me being willing to go to Mass. I go to Mass each Sunday regardless of which parish I am able to go to. My concern is the survival of my parish.

 

[laszlo]

This isn’t about me being willing to go to Mass. I go to Mass each Sunday regardless of which parish I am able to go to. My concern is the survival of my parish.

This depends on the priest

[In 1988] there were a total of 70 people attending two Masses when he came. Today, we have more than 1,000 families.

musicasacra.com/kolinski

Wonderful story. This was in 2007. Now they have two parishies, a retreat house and if I am correct 10 priests.

 

[FAB]

This isn’t about me being willing to go to Mass. I go to Mass each Sunday regardless of which parish I am able to go to. My concern is the survival of my parish.

Many parishes are having to close due to lack of members. My parish has dwendled in numbers and we have 4 masses on a weekend. Not less faithful, many have moved to better neighborhoods, many others hve just gone home. To increase number of mases may not turn around your parish.

 

[maryj]

If you have a pastoral council, ask one of the members (best to ask the chairperson) to bring it up at their next meeting.

 

[Joe_Kelley]

Unfortunately this situation is very common. The priest can only say a certain amount of Masses (canon law). To do more he will have to get permission from Rome but regardless I would bring the issue up with your Bishop.

I think the limit is one mass per day on weekdays and two on Sundays. *

With permission he can say one more [which makes two on weekdays and three on Sundays].

I think it is strictly forbidden to say any more.

[The Judicial Vicar once told us that to say a second mass on one day is to binate; a third is to trinate. He pointed out that a fourth would lead to a term forbidden by the sixth commandment. ]*

 

[puzzleannie]

This isn’t about me being willing to go to Mass. I go to Mass each Sunday regardless of which parish I am able to go to. My concern is the survival of my parish.

you are quite right, the parish may not survive as a separate entity, but may be merged with the other parish. No doubt the timing of Masses reflects somewhat the relative attendance at those two parishes when the decision was made. It is a fact of life we are going to have to live with. Read the threads about parish closings in Cleveland, Boston, New York and dozens of other dioceses.

 

[Another_Mary]

I think the limit is one mass per day on weekdays and two on Sundays. *

With permission he can say one more [which makes two on weekdays and three on Sundays].

I think it is strictly forbidden to say any more.
Our parish (with a large parish church and two distant mission churches) has two priests and nine Sunday Masses (two of them Saturday vigils). Seems to me that puts one of them each week on the forbidden list if this is true!