Mases for the Dead

[Snowy]

I want to ask my parish priest to celebrate a Requiem Mass for all of my departed loved ones, but I don’t see that happening much at my parish. Priests are busy, and if each parishioner asked for the same thing, nothing else would get done. Is there a guideline for this? Thanks.

 

[benedictgal]

I want to ask my parish priest to celebrate a Requiem Mass for all of my departed loved ones, but I don’t see that happening much at my parish. Priests are busy, and if each parishioner asked for the same thing, nothing else would get done. Is there a guideline for this? Thanks.

At the start of a new liturgical year, parishes get a liturgical calendar. This calendar is for the parish office to schedule Mass intentions. You might want to call your parish office to see if a particular date is available and then select the date. The stipend is usually $5 or so. Then, if possible, try to attend the Mass. You might want to do this as soon as possible. If your area is anything like my diocese, the book gets filled up pretty quick.

 

[FrDavid96]

I want to ask my parish priest to celebrate a Requiem Mass for all of my departed loved ones, but I don’t see that happening much at my parish. Priests are busy, and if each parishioner asked for the same thing, nothing else would get done. Is there a guideline for this? Thanks.

Snowy,
It depends on just what you’re thinking about. Do you mean specifically a “Mass for the Dead”? Or do you mean a Mass (in the text of the day) which the pries offers for your relatives? There’s a slight difference. Do you mean an outright Requiem Mass distinct from the regular parish schedule attended mostly by your family?

If you could be a little more specific, I think we can guide you in just how to approach the priest to make the request.

 

[puzzleannie]

I want to ask my parish priest to celebrate a Requiem Mass for all of my departed loved ones, but I don’t see that happening much at my parish. Priests are busy, and if each parishioner asked for the same thing, nothing else would get done. Is there a guideline for this? Thanks.

each priest can accept a stipend for one Mass intention for each Mass he says, one a day on weekdays, usually 3 on Sunday. Most parishes have a procedure to record this, and the intention usually is printed in the bulletin, if it is not announced from the pulpit. Rest assured that even if not announced, the Mass will be offered for your intention, because the priest MUST offer Mass for the intention if he has accepted it.

What happens here is that the secretary begins accepting “reservations” the first of December for the following year, and the person requesting fills out a form so that names and intentions are printed properly in the bulletin. The stipend suggested (not mandatory) is $5 which goes in the general parish fund. Priests have the option of keeping those stipends for themselves, and declaring it on their tax return as income. Each diocese has a policy on how such offerings are to be accounted for. Anyone who cannot afford an offering is not required to give anything and may still request a Mass. In practical terms there is a limit because each priest can say only so many Masses, and one each week must be offered for the people of the parish.

If your parish tells you their calendar is full for the year, call the diocese to get names of retired priests or religious order priests, or contact missionary orders (listed in the back of almost every Catholic magazine) who will gladly offer Mass for your loved one.

a Requium Mass is specifically a funeral Mass, so I think you are asking about a memorial, perhaps on the anniversary of death.

 

[Joe_Kelley]

Most places that I am familiar with now suggest stipend of $10.

I think that is set by the diocese.

 

[Snowy]

Thank you all for your answers, and excuse my ignorance. I’m the only Christian in my family, and I feel like it’s my responsability to get all of my dead kinfolks to Heaven. I always pray for them, and am not sure how or if a Requiem Mass would further help; I’ve heard about them and thought I would ask you.

Are the Mass intentions you’re mentioning those to which the Congregation responds “Lord, hear our prayers”? Is that the normal way to ask for what I want, rather than asking for an extraordinary Memorial Mass? Thanks again.

(My apologies for mispelling “Masses”.)

 

[acadian]

When we talk of Mass intentions, it means that the particular Mass is offered by the priest for that particular person or people. At our parish, the names are printed in the bulletin, but are never announced at Mass. Sometimes they are for the deceased, and sometimes they are for living people - celebrating anniversaries or birthdays.

At our parish, there is a copy of the bulletin with the intentions for the week kept in the sacristy, so I am guessing that perhaps the priest glances at it before he leaves the sacristy and offers his intention [to God] to say that particular Mass for that particular person.

Does that make any sense?

 

[FrDavid96]

Thank you all for your answers, and excuse my ignorance. I’m the only Christian in my family, and I feel like it’s my responsability to get all of my dead kinfolks to Heaven. I always pray for them, and am not sure how or if a Requiem Mass would further help; I’ve heard about them and thought I would ask you.

Are the Mass intentions you’re mentioning those to which the Congregation responds “Lord, hear our prayers”? Is that the normal way to ask for what I want, rather than asking for an extraordinary Memorial Mass? Thanks again.

(My apologies for mispelling “Masses”.)

Snowy,
What you’re asking about is relatively simple. Just contact the parish office and ask them to schedule a Mass intention. They do this all the time. They’ll need to know if it’s for the living, or deceased. You can specify names, but if there’s more than a few, just say “deceased members of the whoever family.” The priest will remember them as his Mass intention at an regularly-scheduled upcoming Mass. This usually isn’t done aloud. The Mass intention usually is not mentioned during the General Intercessions (“Lord hear our prayer”), but that’s not an absolute.

If it’s a daily Mass you’re scheduling, and it isn’t on a special day, you can also request that the priest specifically use the text of “Mass for the Dead” (some will, some only use the text of the day, but most priests will at least entertain the request). If it is a “Mass for the Dead” then there’s a place in the Eucharistic Prayer (right after the consecration) when the priest does mention the name(s) aloud.

 

[puppypatrol]

Thank you all for your answers, and excuse my ignorance. I’m the only Christian in my family, and I feel like it’s my responsability to get all of my dead kinfolks to Heaven. I always pray for them, and am not sure how or if a Requiem Mass would further help; I’ve heard about them and thought I would ask you.

Are the Mass intentions you’re mentioning those to which the Congregation responds “Lord, hear our prayers”? Is that the normal way to ask for what I want, rather than asking for an extraordinary Memorial Mass? Thanks again.

(My apologies for mispelling “Masses”.)

Something you will also want to remember is that the Mass is offered for everyone, special prayers are offered for the intentions during that Mass and are kept in the minds and hearts of those attending that Mass, especially the presider.
Another idea is to attempt to schedule intentions for the entire year all at once. You can schedule as many as you want and hopefully get intentions scheduled on anniversaries, etc…