If you are an avid reader of bulletins (and who isn’t?), you can’t miss the section with the intentions for the Mass. There are sometimes questions about what exactly these are, how they work, and who is praying for these intentions. Mass intentions are a long tradition in our church.

What are they?

In short, an offering is given to the priest so that he will remember a particular intention at Mass. The “Mass Intentions” in the bulletin are a public record of who the priest is praying for at that particular Mass. While it is a very good and pious practice for the faithful attending a Mass to include the intention of the Mass in their prayers, it is not required of them. The faithful are welcome to apply their participation at Mass to whatever intention they desire. The priest, however, is bound to pray for the intention of the Mass.

Since the primary work of a priest is to pray and to ensure the spiritual well-being of those entrusted to him, the Church allowed for the priest to accept an offering of money in order to pray for a specific intention at Mass. Until the mid to late 20th century, this offering was the primary means of income for priests in most dioceses in the United States, and there are still places in the world where this is the case. While some see might find this problematic, both our Lord and St. Paul say that the laborer deserves his keep. (See Luke 107 and 1 Timothy 5:18)

What are the rules?

Mass intentions are also one of the most regulated things in canon law, due not only to abuses of them in the past, but also due to the Church’s desire to adequately provide for the needs of the faithful.

To prevent priests from saying many Masses and abusing the sacraments for monetary gain, the Church limits a priest to accepting one Mass intention offering per day. (Christmas Day is the one exception to this rule.)
If a priest says more than one Mass with an offering during a day, he does not keep more than one. Any other offerings are used as specified by the Bishop.
Dioceses are to set a standard amount for this offering so that the faithful know what is considered a minimum acceptable offering. In the Diocese of Wichita, this is $10.
If an offering has been given for a Mass, that Mass must be said within one year. If, for some reason, a priest cannot do this, he must give the intention and the offering to another priest to ensure that it is said in a proper amount of time.
We are not permitted to accept offerings that cannot be fulfilled within a year. (This is why you cannot ask for an intention for a Mass more than 365 days into the future.)
Pastors of parishes are to offer one Mass “For the people of the parish” on every Sunday and Holy Day of Obligation. No offering is attached to these Masses.
Once the intentions are published, the policy at St. Joseph is that they will not be changed except in extraordinary circumstances. For example, if a Mass is unexpectedly canceled, we will reschedule the intention as soon as possible.

How do I read the list of intentions?

Most of the time, an intention is for a particular person. If it is not for a person, then the intention is simply for whatever is listed. If you see a little cross next to a name (for example: “+ Pope Benedict XVI”), that means the Mass is for a deceased person and the priest is praying for the repose of that person’s soul.

How do I make an offering for a Mass intention?

Every parish is different, but the best way to start is to give your parish office a call.