This coming Tuesday, at 10am, we will be opening the 2019 Mass Book. We have many people who come to have a Mass intention offered for a living or deceased loved one or friend. While this is wonderful and commendable we have run into a problem. A Mass intention should normally be offered for a single intention (one or at the most two names). This single intention can be for a person or a particular family. Recently a person came to the Rectory who asked for nine names (with no similar last names) to be included in the Mass intention. When told that it would not be possible they pointed out that they had seen any number of times when multiple names had been listed. Of course, they were right. Unfortunately, we have allowed this practice to get out of hand, and if we don't correct it now it will get worse. This coming Tuesday we will go back to the proper way for Mass intentions to be listed. This means that the following examples will be the only acceptable way for the Mass intentions to be listed in the bulletin:

Mr. and Mrs. John Jones
John and Mary Jones
The Jones Family
Mary Jones and Thomas Smith
The Jones and Smith Family

Mary Jones and Thomas Smith could be brother and sister or good friends. Therefore, the bottom line is that no more than two names will be able to be listed in the weekly bulletin. If there are more than two names (with the same last name) they can be listed under a family name as found in the example above. If two names are given, and a middle name is wanted, we will only list the middle initial. We are sorry for this inconvenience but we have to get this under control. We remind you that the intention for the Mass can be for the living or the deceased. Also, we remind you that if anyone sends in a list of names before September 11th those intentions will not be put in the book till the end of that day.