Holy Mass is the greatest prayer that we have as Catholics, for through it, the sacrifice of our Lord Jesus Christ on the Cross is made present to us on the altar in an unbloody way – and we are able to unite our lives and all that we are with that sacrifice and offer ourselves with Christ to the Father. For that reason, it is an immemorial custom for Catholics to request that Mass be offered for a special prayer intention. Mass intentions are published in the parish bulletin, and each priest-celebrant ensure that he offers the Mass for the intention that has been scheduled. He also customarily receives a stipend for this service.
We are happy to provide this ONLINE FORM for those who wish to schedule Mass intentions at the Cathedral of Saint Paul. It may be used to schedule a single intention at a time. If you wish to request more than one intention, please go back and complete the form anew for each request.
Mass intentions are perhaps most often offered for the deceased, in case they are still being purified in Purgatory: to help speed them along to their heavenly home. But Masses may also be offered for the living (e.g., in honor of their birthday, graduation, or some other important life event) or for a particular prayer intention (e.g., “for world peace”). If you do not want to indicate your intention, you may simply request that it be listed as “a special intention”, and it will still be known by God.
There is also the possibility of sending a “Mass card” for the intention you have scheduled. A Mass card is a greeting card that indicates who requested the intention, what the intention is, and is signed by the pastor. There are different types of cards depending upon the type of intention (e.g., living, deceased, or special prayer request). We can send the Mass card to you, and you can then take care of getting it to the person you want to receive it – or, you can provide us with the information we need to send the card directly to your intended recipient. All of these options are found in our ONLINE FORM.
Concerning the stipend that is traditionally offered, this amount is given to the priest who celebrates the Mass and fulfills the intention; it is part of his overall compensation. The Diocese of Birmingham was founded in 1969 and for well over 30 years the recommended Mass stipend was $5.00. About 15 years ago, it was raised to a $10 suggested minimum. That amount remains today. However, you can give another amount if you wish, and the ONLINE FORM allows you to indicate your stipend amount.
PLEASE NOTE: your Mass intention request is not considered to be “booked” until you hear back from our Parish Secretary, Krista, in response to your submission. Our office is open Monday-Friday, 8:00am-3:00pm (most weeks), so Krista will respond to you whenever she is during that time and as soon as she is able. Of course, if you have any questions, please do not hesitate to call (205) 251-1279 or to email Krista at krista@stpaulsbhm.org. Thank you!
The Cathedral of Saint Paul 