What is a Mass intention?

The Mass has four principal effects for us: worship, thanksgiving, contrition, and petition. All prayer involves “asking” God for what we need: this way, we always declare to him that he is the ultimate giver all of gifts. In the Our Father, we ask, “give us this day our daily bread” – meaning both our physical needs, and, importantly, our spiritual needs: ultimately, that Bread which never fails us.

Every single Mass is offered for the glory of God and for the needs of the Church and of the world, the living and the dead. This is the general intention offered in the Mass by the Church.

Every single baptised person participating in Mass may bring their own needs, joys, and sorrows, uniting their own life to the life of Christ on the altar. This is the personal intention offered in the Mass by those present.

The priest celebrant himself, as both a baptised person and, as priest, in the person of Christ himself at Mass, has his own specific particular intention. This is what is generally referred to when we say “Mass intention“. He himself, in the person of Christ, is applying his own personal intention to the special fruit of that “Mass intention”. This does not override in any way anyone else’s personal intention, though we may wish to unite ourselves in prayer with the priest’s own intention: a great act of charity.

It became customary for the priest’s parishioners to ask their priest to pray for their own personal intentions in this way, taking their needs to the Father; taking the person and their need by the hand and humbly showing the Lord that there is a need for his grace.

Holy Mass makes present the mystery of Christ’s death and resurrection. There is no greater prayer, because the Mass is the perfect offering of the Son of God to his heavenly Father. In offering Mass for a specific intention, the priest prays to  God that the fruits of Christ’s redemptive sacrifice be applied to the requested intention, for the spiritual and temporal good of the person(s) concerned.

Who can a Mass Intention be offered for?

Mass can be offered for anyone, or any number of people, living or dead. They do not have to be Catholics, but the offering must not be the cause of offense. You can also ask for Mass to be offered for a “private intention” if you do not want the recipient known.

Does a Mass Intention cost anything?

Since ancient times, because by asking the priest to pray for a particular intention was, in effect, the priest’s daily work, a custom developed of making a financial donation to the priest to support him in his work. Celebrating Mass is the priest’s “daily bread”, and he lived by it, not only spiritually, but it also fed and clothed him.

There is not a charge for requesting a Mass intention. Donations are always gratefully received and these go to support the upkeep of your priest.

There are Mass intention envelopes in the entrance to the church that you can use or contact the parish office.

You can also indicate on the envelope or to the parish secretary whether you are happy for the Mass Intention to be said outside the parish.