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Hi, Jackie —
Thanks for the question.
When the notice said:
Masses for the Dead are requested.
It was saying that the family would appreciate
having Masses said for their Departed loved one.
Any Catholic or non-Catholic can do this by going
to any rectory (the place where priests live)
and ask that one or more Masses be said for the intents
of the Departed loved one:
[David or Dorothy]
Deceased.
This is a great act of charity for anyone to do
and a great act of love for the Departed loved one.
Because the Scriptures confirm that a worker is worth
his wage (Luke 10:3-9), it is normal to give, what's
called, a stipend <a sum paid as an allowance for services> to
the priest. It's not absolutely necessary, but justice
does call for something.
In the Boston area, to have a Mass said for a Faithful
Departed loved one, the stipend is usually around
$10.00, though this may vary from parish to parish,
city to city, state to state, and for that matter,
from country to country.
Just ask the secretary at the rectory:
- What is the usual parish stipend for the priest?
{Some times, under certain circumstances, the
priest won't ask for a stipend.}
Based on your original question, I have another related web posting you may be interested in:
Many times people will misunderstand the term Masses for the Dead.
When a priest asks for Masses for the Dead, he is speaking to people who are alive and who are still on their Earthly pilgrimage. He is not implying that those who have passed to their particular judgment are dead. When we pass from this life, we will be more alive than ever compared to this life. A better term to use would be for him to ask for Masses for the Faithful Departed, who in many cases are having remaining self-love purified in the Holy Hospital of Heaven, Purgatory.
For those with a deep devotion to the
Holy Souls, check out my other web site at:
HelpersOfTheHolySouls.com
Hope this helps,
Mike
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