From the desk of the Tar Heel disciple:
November 2025
In a previous post on this site, we affirmed that it is good and holy thing to pray for the dead and a special gift and means of assistance to them to offer the holy Sacrifice of the Mass for that special intention. In many places, such as mission territories, the stipends a priest receives are his principal means of sustenance. However, so that all scandalous appearances and abuses are avoided, the Church has instituted a series of precise canons, that is, regulations, concerning the acceptance of stipends in relationship to the offering of a Mass for a particular intention. For example, a priest can only accept one stipend per day, even if he celebrates more than one Mass. The bishop of every diocese is supposed to designate how additional stipends received are to be used (e.g., a seminary fund). The only exception to this rule is when a priest might celebrate up to three Masses on Christmas, for which he can keep the three stipends.
But undoubtedly some readers will ask, how much? The value of a Mass is, of course, the value of Christ’s sacrifice on the cross. In other words, it is infinite. In some parts of the world, the bishops of a region, with the authority given to them by Canon Law, have set the amount for a Mass stipend in their jurisdictions. (That has not been done in the dioceses of North Carolina.) But even in those places where an amount has been indicated, an individual is free to give more than the “official” stipend and the priest is free to accept less, if he chooses. In fact, the priest can decline any stipend offered. But if the priest agrees to offer a Mass for a particular intention, whether there is a stipend or not, he is obligated, in justice, to offer it.
A priest must keep a careful record of any intentions that he has accepted and note the amount offered. He must then record when the Mass has been celebrated. And he should never take more intentions that he can reasonably offer within a year. If the priests were to become incapacitated, or for some other reason could not celebrate the Masses, he must entrust them, along with whatever stipend was given, to another priest to be offered. A priest should make provisions in his will for any Masses that are entered into his record book that have not been celebrated at the time of his death. (It might also be of interest to the readers of this blog to know that Mass stipends are considered to be taxable income by the IRS, and ought to be so reported by priests who file a 1040 form with the government).
At this time in North Carolina, the usual customary stipend offered for a Mass is between $10 and $20. If a priest does not have a particular intention, he is still encouraged to offer daily Mass, especially for the poor. Most parishes are happy to receive requests for Masses offered for the dead through the parish office and will often be willing to send a card to a family member or friend, noting that a Mass is being offered for the deceased loved one. It is also commendable to make these requests to religious communities or ecclesiastical charities that arrange for Masses to be offered by priests in the mission territories of the world, who count on the stipends for their sustenance and ministry.
To be continued…
