We only accept one intention per Mass (see article for explanation).
One Mass every Sunday and on each Holy Day of Obligation is reserved for pro populo ("for the people").
Only registered parishioners can request Mass intentions.
A “Mass intention” is either an individual person, a married couple, or a single family (e.g. “The Hebert Family”).
These can include a note that it's for things like special events or needs of the person named.
No secret or "special" intentions will be accepted.
In accordance with diocesan policy, the offering for a Mass intention is $5 per an intention.
If you want to give more than $5, you have to explicitly state that the money given is for a single Mass for your intention.
Intentions will only be accepted up to one year in advance, starting on the 1st work day of the month. (E.g. On June 2, we’ll begin to accept intentions for the month of June in 2026)
Parishioners can only request one Mass intention per month.
We are adding a “prayer request” section next to Mass intentions in the bulletin. This allows you to list your loved on the day you want even if it's not an official Mass Intention.
Parishioners can list their prayer request in that section for free.
For reasons of space, we’ll only accept up to 25 total prayer requests per Mass.
The priest will include these requests in his offering of the Mass in addition to the official intention.
If you are unable to find a place in our calendar for your Mass Intention, please make use of the following links to send intentions directly to priests around the world who need the offering and have space to accept more intentions.
When a priest offers the Mass, he prepares himself by making an act of intention. He verbally or mentally prepares himself to celebrate Mass according to the Church’s guidance and to offer it on behalf of the Church as a whole. If someone has asked that priest to offer a Mass for a specific intention and he agrees, he also includes that in his preparation. That specific intention entrusted to him by another person is called the Mass Intention.
Does the priest have to accept people’s intentions?
Yes and no. If the priest is a pastor of a parish, he is required to offer a Mass for the intention of “the people of his parish,” usually called pro populo.
A priest is not required to accept any other intentions, but Canon Law “earnestly recommends” that he does.
What is called when we give money to the priest for a Mass intention?
This money is called a “Mass offering.” A priest cannot accept any money for his pro populo Mass.
How much does a “Mass Offering” cost?
The amount for the offering is established by the local diocese or region in which the priest serves. In the Diocese of Lafayette, the current Mass offering is set at $5.
Do I get less benefit from a Mass if I don’t give an offering (money) to make it for my intention?
No. The graces given by the Mass are infinite and what we receive is based on faith and disposition. Making an offering often helps us to be more disposed, but God never withholds grace from someone simply because they cannot afford to give anything.
Where does the money for a Mass offering go?
It goes to the priest personally. The money does not support the parish at which the priest serves.
Why does the money go to the priest instead of the parish?
Because that was the original intention behind the practice of Mass intentions and offerings. It is an echo of the way Levitical priests in the Old Testament would eat the meat of animals sacrificed in the Temple. Mass Offerings are meant to support the priest. Supporting the parish is done through tithing (the collection at Mass).
Can a priest charge more than the diocesan standard?
No
Can I voluntarily give the priest more than $5 for a Mass offering?
Yes, but only if you explicitly tell him that the money is for a single Mass. If you give him more than $5 for a Mass intention without saying differently, he should assume you’re asking for multiple Masses for that intention.
Can the priest charge less than $5 for the offering to accept a Mass intention?
Yes. A priest can accept Mass intentions without any money for an offering.
How many intentions can a priest have for a single Mass?
A priest can only have one official intention for a Mass, especially if that intention came with an offering of money.
A priest can include as many personal or prayer intentions as he wants in addition, but these cannot come with an offering (money) for him personally and these do not count as “fulfilling” other intentions he has agreed to offer Mass for.
How many times in a day can a priest celebrate Mass for specific intentions?
A priest is supposed to celebrate Mass only once per day. When necessary, a priest can offer a second Mass on weekdays and up to three Masses on Sundays and Holy Days of Obligation. In extreme circumstances, the bishop can allow a one-time exception to do more than that.
Does the priest keep the offering (money) for every Mass he celebrates on the same day?
No, the rule is that a priest can only accept one offering per day no matter how many Masses he celebrates. Even if a priest for some reason celebrated five Masses in one day for five separate intentions, he could only keep one offering.
What happens to the offerings (money) for the extra Masses a priest celebrates in one day?
Because the intention has been fulfilled, the money is free to be used for charity. In the diocese of Lafayette, that money is kept for the needy parish fund.
Are there any restrictions on Mass intentions for a priest?
A priest is not supposed to accept more offerings and intentions than he can fulfill in one year.
Mass intentions cannot be offered for things contrary to the Catholic faith.
What happens when a parish requests more intentions than a priest can do in one year?
The priest can arrange for extra Mass intentions and offerings to be sent to other priests. Typically, this is done by sending the intentions and the money to the Diocese which then distributes it to other dioceses and to missionary orders around the world.
Where do the extra intentions from the Diocese of Lafayette currently go?
Right now, they do not go anywhere. The missionary groups and dioceses we used before no longer accept intentions and offerings at our rate of $5 per intention. They are requesting $10 or more per intention. The bishop is looking into a solution.
Why do so many parishes list multiple intentions for their Masses?
It could be for a number of reasons.
It is possible that the parish isn’t following policy.
It is possible they are using what’s called “collective intentions.”
It is also possible they just aren’t communicating clearly about how they are distributing the extra intentions for each Mass. In some places, they list multiple intentions on one Mass, but only “fulfill” the first one listed. The others in the list are actually sent to the diocese or to missionaries to be officially fulfilled at a later date.
What is a “collective intention?”
It’s a special exception to the rules about Mass intentions. Twice a week, a priest can combine multiple official intentions for a single Mass. In order to do that, however, every single person who asked for a Mass to be said has to know, understand, and explicitly agree to the collective intention.
What happens to the offerings (money) for a collective intention?
The priest can still only collect one offering for the collective intention. The additional money from the multiple intentions is then given to charity. For the Diocese of Lafayette, that is the needy parish fund.
Does a priest have to offer a collective intention Mass?
No. It is allowed, but not required. The Church does not want it to be done too often because it blurs the line on what Mass intentions are meant to be.
Does it matter what date I choose for my Mass intention?
No and Yes.
It does not matter to God because he is outside of time. He can give grace to us based on the Mass no matter when it actually happens just like Jesus’ death on the cross can forgive sins that came after Jesus died
It sometimes matters to us. It doesn’t change the grace God gives, but we might find it more comforting to make a connection to a specific date.
What happens if a priest agrees to offer Mass for my intention, but never does it
He will answer for that at his final judgment. God won’t hold it against you because you didn’t do anything wrong, but the priest will probably face spiritual consequences of some kind (purgatory).