A Great Way to Pray For The Dead

At the Last Supper Christ gave us the means of uniting ourselves with Him as He died on the Cross. He consecrated bread and wine into His Body and Blood so that we might share in His death and resurrection. The Church teaches that both the living and the dead receive forgiveness through the offering of the Mass, hence all are encouraged to join with the priest as the Mass is offered. While it is true that the spiritual benefits of the Mass may not be limited to one particular person, there is an ancient practice in the Church that the faithful make an offering to have the intention of the Mass applied for a particular person or persons. The suggested offering has varied over the years. The Bishops of Illinois decided that the ordinary offering, or stipend should be ten dollars effective January 1, 1993. Parishes may not ask for a larger sum though they may accept a voluntary offering that is larger or even smaller than the one determined. There is also an obligation to celebrate a Mass for the People on Sundays on a weekly basis. No one may be denied a Mass intention because of inability or unwillingness to give an offering. We encourage this pious practice at this parish. If our Mass schedule fills up with intentions, then additional requests will be sent to Rockford to be offered by other priests in the diocese. This is one of the ways the Church provides for all Her members to hold in prayer our loved ones, both those living and those departed.