Parish Guidelines on Mentioning of the Intentions during Mass

Parish Guidelines on Mentioning of the Intentions during Mass

Before the pandemic, Mass Intentions were not being announced or mentioned during the Mass. They are instead placed in the list of the Mass Offering which the priest presider reads and prays for silently before the Mass. The Mass Offering is placed on the altar during the Mass and was posted on the Bulletin Board for mass-goers to read and pray for.

During this Pandemic, Fr. Bong has requested in their Diocesan Clergy Assembly to allow the mentioning of the Mass Intentions during the Prayers of the Faithful so that those who are joining through livestream especially those who are offering their prayers of Thanksgiving, Particular Intentions, Healing and Recovery, Eternal Rest and Peace for their loved ones may be given assurance of our pastoral care, receive comfort and be encouraged.

However, these past months, we have been flooded with too many requests that our Prayers of the Faithful has become very long. Thus, in order to continue with our practice of mentioning the Mass Intentions without interrupting the flow of the Liturgy, we shall implement the following guidelines:

1. We will shorten the Prayers of the Faithful Guide being used in the Mass. For weekdays, we shall read only the first three petitions; and for Sunday, we can add (if necessary) the particular intention of that Sunday.
2. We will strictly observe the policy of ONE MASS FOR INTENTIONS. The one requesting must choose the Mass he/she will be attending during which his/her intention/s will be mentioned.
3. For Particular Intentions and for Healing and Recovery, a maximum of three days (of mentioning) will be allowed.
4. For Eternal Rest and Peace, a maximum of nine days (of mentioning) for those who just died will be allowed. For those commemorating death or birth anniversaries, the name of the dead will be mentioned only on the day itself.
5. For those requesting prayers every Sunday, the intention will only be mentioned once a month.
6. For those with long list of prayer request to be mentioned we will consider to distribute them in the other masses if necessary.
7. ALL requests, however, will be INCLUDED in the list of our Mass Offerings and will be prayed over by the priest presider before the Mass. We hope that we have made it clear that what we are regulating is only the MENTIONING of the prayer requests. A copy of the Mass Offerings will also be posted on the Bulletin Board so that people who read them may also pray for them.

Again, we would like to reiterate that the practice of mentioning will only be during this Pandemic when some people are still in their houses and, for some reasons, could not go to the church but are joining us through livestreaming. We want them to be assured that we are praying with and for them and for their needs.

(Signed)
Fr. Bong Tupino
Parish Priest

Effective Oct. 3, 2021.