To have a Mass intention set up at St. Brendan the Navigator Parish at any of our churches (St. Bernard in Rockland, Our Lady of Good Hope in Camden, St. Francis of Assisi in Belfast or the Islands), you can do so by any of the following ways:
- Complete a “Mass Card Offering” envelope (available at each of the churches), noting who the offering is for, who is making the offering, preferred date, Mass time, church, and phone number or email where you can be contacted in case of questions, and send in with enclosed offering through the collection.
- Call the Parish office at 236-4785 with the request, and can mail in or put offering in the collection.
- Mail your request with the offering to the Parish Office at 7 Union St., Camden, ME 04843, noting who the offering is for, who is making the offering, preferred date, Mass time, church, and phone number or email where you can be contacted in case of questions.
Mass Intentions are published weekly in the Sunday bulletin. Mass Intentions are a personal donation, but the suggested amount is $10. This signifies the sacrificial nature of giving of something of yourself to associate more intimately with Christ who offers himself in the Eucharist. Mass cards are available at the parish office.
"In the celebration of the Eucharistic Sacrifice, the Church prays that God, the Father of mercies, will grant His children the fullness of the Holy Spirit so that they may become one body and one spirit in Christ. In raising this prayer to the Father of lights, from whom comes every good endowment and every perfect gift, the Church believes that she will be heard, for she prays in union with Christ her Head and Spouse, who takes up this plea of His Bride and joins it to His own redemptive sacrifice" —Saint John Paul II, Ecclesia de Eucharistia
Offering a Mass for a special intention is a long-standing tradition in the Catholic Church. These special intentions are offered to God as prayers of intercession and thanksgiving, and it is usually considered that special graces are obtained for whom the Mass is said. In and through the Eucharist, we pray for the deceased, for those who are ill, for those who face various difficulties or challenges. Often, people request a Mass in thanksgiving for God’s grace helping them through a particularly challenging time of life. It is important to note that, while the graces of the Mass being infinite, many intentions can be offered up at a single Mass. While a priest may only accept one intention at a single Mass, he may have many other intentions not attached to an offering. In addition, the faithful may bring their own intentions to the Mass, which they each carry privately and place upon the altar spiritually in prayer.
Masses are offered for many reasons; for the souls in purgatory or in remembrance for someone who is deceased, or someone who is ill or having a special occasion. A Mass Intention may be set for:
- A deceased loved one
- A living person who is sick or suffering
- A living person who is celebrating a birthday, anniversary or other special moment in their life;
- In thanksgiving to God (including the Lord Jesus or the Holy Spirit);
- In thanksgiving for a favor granted through the intercession of a Blessed or a Saint;
- For a prayer intention (so long as the intention does not contradict Church teaching)
A Mass Intention may not be set for:
- An unknown or "private" intention;
- A prayer intention that contradicts Catholic moral doctrine
Sources: https://stmaryoldtown.org/mass-intentions/ and https://www.stmichaelcary.org/mass-intentions