Mass Intentions

Mass Cards and Intentions

A Mass intention is a special way to offer prayers during the celebration of the Mass for a particular person or need. Many people request a Mass to be offered for the repose of the soul of a loved one who has died, while others may request a Mass in thanksgiving, for healing, or for another special intention.

Mass intentions are scheduled one per Mass. Each intention is recorded in our Mass book and published in the parish bulletin where the intentions for each Mass are listed. The intention will also be announced during the Prayer of the Faithful at Mass.

The Mass Intentions book for 2027 will be available for requests on Tuesday, November 10 from 9:00 AM to 12 Noon in the narthex of the church. If you wish to remember loved ones on specific dates we encourage you to bring or submit your request as soon as the new Mass book opens.  After November 10, reservations can be made through the parish office.

If your preferred date is not available, our parish staff will be happy to help you select another available date or arrange for an unannounced Mass to be offered for your intention or an offering for a Sanctuary Candle or for Bread and Wine is also available.

  • When a priest celebrates Mass each day, he offers each Sacrifice of the Mass for a particular person, or intention. By doing so special graces from God are applied upon that person or intention. The act of offering prayers for the dead at Mass goes back to AD 235. Canon Law also confirms this practice and states, “In accord with the approved practice of the Church, any priest celebrating, or concelebrating is permitted to receive an offering to apply the Mass for a specific intention” (Can. 945 §1).  

  • Anyone may ask a priest to offer a Mass for several reasons. For example, Masses can be offered in thanksgiving, for the intentions of another person (such as on a birthday), or as is most common, for the repose of the soul of someone who has died.

  • Canon Law states “The Christian faithful who give an offering to apply the Mass for their intention contribute to the good of the Church and by that offering share its concern to support its ministers and works” (945 §2). This refers to a longstanding practice in the Church of offering a specified amount of money to the Church for a particular intention offered by the priest. This is not the act of selling something sacred for money (simony), but it is for the purpose of supplying items for Mass and for the support of the priest. In Dioceses of the United States, the standard offering for a Mass stipend is $10. 

  • There are two ways you can request a Mass intention at Saint Laurence: Call or Visit the Church Office during business hours. Our receptionist will help you in securing your Mass intentions. We accept cash, check, credit card, or contactless payments.

  • If the specific date you requested is already reserved, you may choose another available date for your Mass intention. You may also request an unannounced Mass, which will be offered by a priest for your intention but will not appear in the parish bulletin or be announced during Mass. Unannounced Masses are often celebrated by our priests during their private Masses.

    This option still allows your intention to be remembered in the Holy Sacrifice of the Mass even if your preferred date is not available.

  • The Mass Intentions book for 2027 will be available for requests on Tuesday, November 10 from 9:00 AM to 12 Noon in the narthex of the church. If you wish to remember loved ones on specific dates we encourage you to bring or submit your request as soon as the new Mass book opens.  After November 10, reservations can be made through the parish office.

    If your preferred date is not available, our parish staff will be happy to help you select another available date or arrange for an unannounced Mass to be offered for your intention.

Other offerings at Saint Laurence

Votive Candles

Votive candles are available at Saint Laurence Church near the altar rail and may be lit for any prayer intention. Lighting a candle is a simple and meaningful way to offer a prayer for yourself, a loved one, or a special need. The suggested donation is $1 per candle.

Bread and
Wine Offering

The bread and wine used at Mass each week may be offered for a special intention, such as in honor or memory of a loved one. This offering is a meaningful way to include your prayer intentions in the celebration of the Eucharist and will be listed in the bulletin. To arrange a bread and wine offering, please call or visit the parish office. The suggested donation is $10.

Honor the life and faith of someone dear to you by making a donation to Saint Laurence in their memory. A memorial gift is a meaningful way to remember a loved one while supporting the mission and ministries of our parish. Your offering becomes a prayerful tribute, helping the Church continue its work of worship, service, and care for our community. Through this act of generosity, the memory of your loved one lives on in faith and gratitude. Call or visit the office to make a donation. You can also make a donation online using this link.

Altar Candles are available at Saint Joseph’s side altar and may be lit for any special prayer intention. Many parishioners ask that these candles be lit as a sign of prayer while asking for the intercession of the Saint Joseph. To arrange the Saint Joseph Altar candle offering, please call or visit the parish office. The suggested donation is $10.

Blessed Virgin Mary Altar Candles

Perpetual Mass Intentions

Sanctuary Candle

Votive Candles

Memorial Donation

Saint Joseph Altar Candles

The sanctuary lamp in a Catholic church indicates the sacredness of the space where the Blessed Sacrament is reserved.   It serves as a reminder that Jesus Christ—body, blood, soul, and divinity—dwells in the tabernacle.  In St. Laurence Church we have two lamps, one mounted on the Blessed Virgin Mary side of the altar and one on the St. Joseph side of the altar. We invite you to offer a donation in honor of a loved one, in memory of a deceased person, or in thanksgiving for a special intention. Your intention will be published in the bulletin and the candle burns for the entire week. Its continuous light serves as a powerful reminder of Christ's presence among the faithful. To request a specific week please call or visit the parish office. The suggested donation is $10.

Sacred Heart Enrollments are a wonderful way to have those you love remembered every first Friday of the month. Enrollments can be an expression of compassion or sympathy for the living or the deceased. There is no need to enroll someone more than once since it is a perpetual enrollment. While the enrollees share in the monthly offering of the Holy Sacrifice of the Mass, the Mass is not said for any individual enrollee only but collectively. To arrange an enrollment please call or visit the parish office. The suggested donation is $50.

Altar Candles are available at the side altar of the Blessed Virgin Mary and may be lit for any special prayer intention. Many parishioners ask these candles be lit as a sign of prayer while asking for the intercession of the Blessed Virgin Mary. To arrange the Blessed Virgin Mary Altar candle offering, please call or visit the parish office. The suggested donation is $10.