A note from Fr. Gifford

The Eucharist is the most powerful prayer we have. It is the sacrament of our salvation. At every Mass, the offering of our lives is given, along with the offering of Jesus, to the Father. In this, we are transformed and given eternal life.

It is an old and venerable practice to attach a particular intention to our participation in Mass. This is true for the priest celebrant, as well as anyone who participates. One expression of this is the practice of pastors offering at least one Mass per weekend for the good of their parish and its parishioners. In Latin, this Mass is called “pro populo” or “for the people.”

Another expression of Mass intentions occurs when we remember our loved ones who have passed. Requests are made to “have a Mass said” for a particular person—maybe on their birthday or the date of their passing. Church law says that when such a request is made, the priest, to be fair to that request, should not add additional intentions for that Mass. However, everyone can offer their own intentions at that Mass. It is indeed beautiful and powerful to remember our loved ones.

Mass intentions are filled on a first-come, first-served basis. If you’d like to have a Mass offered for your loved one here at St. Peter Claver, call Jane Mitchell, our Parish Administrative Assistant, at (651) 646-1797) or email her at [email protected]. A stipend of $7.00 is generally offered but not required.

Let us keep one another in our prayers.