Throughout history, faithful people who love the Eucharist and who believe in Jesus’ Real Presence have found varied ways to unite themselves to Him and to participate intimately in the Eucharistic sacrifice. They have embraced their role in responding and singing; they have joined their offerings for the support of the Church with the gifts of bread and wine brought forward in procession; they have made the Eucharistic prayer a part of their own prayer, and spiritually placed themselves on the paten and in the chalice; they have cherished Christ in their hearts and souls after receiving Him; they have adored Him on the altar and in the tabernacle during and outside of Mass.

Another way that the faithful have participated in the Eucharist is by offering a contribution to the Church and her priests for the celebration of a Mass for a particular intention. The Church has accepted this instinctual desire of the faithful as helpful and wholesome. At the same time, she has avoided those practices that give the appearance of celebrating the Mass for income or profit. Accordingly, the tradition has consistently been that the priest or parish will accept a modest offering for Mass, and that only one intention will be accepted for each Mass offered. In the Diocese of Paterson, stipends offered for parish Masses go directly to the parish, and not to the priests, who all receive a standard diocesan salary.

When I came to St. Philip’s, I quickly became aware that multiple intentions were being accepted for some Masses. When we “opened” the Mass intention book for 2008, I decided to accept one intention per Mass, until I could get some clarification regarding the practice of accepting multiple intentions. Fortunately, through our diocesan Office of Worship and Spirituality, I received a copy of an official decree on the subject, issued by the Congregation of the Clergy in 1991. Here is what it says:

According to canon 948, “separate Masses are to be applied for the intentions for which and individual offering, even if small, has been made and accepted.”

 . . . In cases in which the people making the offering have been previously explicitly informed and have freely consented to combining their offerings in a single offering, their intentions can be satisfied with a single Mass celebrated according to a “collective” intention. In this case it is necessary that the place and time for the celebration of this Mass, which is not to be more than twice a week, be made public.

Accordingly, because of the large number of requests for Mass intentions, for the remainder of 2008, we will accept multiple intentions (but, ideally, no more than three) for Masses that have been set aside for the intention of the people of the parish. Beginning with 2009, multiple Mass intentions (again, if possible, no more than three) will be accepted for the 5:30 pm Mass on Saturday, and for the 10 am Mass on Sunday. I hope that this practice balances the pastoral needs of our parish with the mind and intention of the universal Church. I ask all of you help us with your understanding and generous acquiescence.