“My priests and I cannot thank you enough for your great generosity, and so we ask God to bless you and reward you for this wonderful gift, which will be shared out equally among all our priests.” Bishop Paul Mea of Kiribati
For priests in many parts of the world, Mass stipends are the sole source of income. When you submit a Mass Offering, you are supporting a priest in need in one of the more than 140 countries in which we work, while at the same time, a Mass is being celebrated for your special intentions. Thank you for your support!
The commitment to teaching and formation also means these priests do not have any other opportunities of earning an income in order to support themselves, such as by working in a parish. As a result, they are very much dependent on Mass stipends.
Having a Holy Mass celebrated for a particular intention is a long and venerable tradition. The gift, or “stipend,” given to the priest by the person concerned is in no sense a “payment” but rather a gesture of love and gratitude and also of financial support for the individual priest.
Today, the male branch of the Rosarians numbers 25 communities, above all in Sri Lanka and India. As a home-grown local congregation, it is poor and consequently ACN is supporting its priests both in Sri Lanka and in India with various different projects and also with Mass stipends.
Mexico is a land of deep contrasts. Some areas are popular holiday destinations, yet at the same time the country is in the throes of bloody drug warfare and plagued by abductions, extortion, robberies and murders on an alarming scale. The Catholic Church is likewise a victim of this crime wave and there is no other country in the world where so many priests are murdered, year on year, as in Mexico.
“With God’s help and the support of faithful Christians, we hope to continue forming the future priests here,” so that they can become “shepherds after the Heart of Christ.”