The Eucharist, the “source and summit of the Christian life” (Lumen Gentium 11), is at the heart of our redemption in Jesus Christ.

In the early Church the faithful would bring gifts to the Sunday assembly, especially the bread and wine for the Eucharist. The excess gifts were given to the Church’s ministers and distributed to the poor. Eventually, through the centuries, gifts of money were frequently substituted, and the purpose became chiefly the support of the clergy. This led to the custom of the priests accepting a donation or “stipend” for each Mass and his remembering a special intention of the donor in the context of the Mass.

Nowadays a Mass offering is a way for donors to join themselves to the Holy Sacrifice of the Mass. It unites the donor closely with the life and apostolic activity of the Church, the Body of Christ, as the offering becomes a form of material support for the Church’s ministers and pastoral life. And, having a Mass celebrated for the needs of a special person,