MASS INTENTIONS
Here at the Church of St. Joseph, we want to thank you for your support. We are very blessed with so many wonderful parishioners from the past, present, and even the future. Please understand that we may not be able to grant every Mass intention request due to the large volume of funerals held at the Church of St. Joseph yearly. We are asking that you schedule no more than "4" Mass intentions annually for each of your beloved, individual/family group. Below are additional guidelines. Please contact the parish office for additional Mass intention options.

NORMAL MASS OFFERING
In the Diocese of Bismarck, and throughout the Province of St. Paul-Minneapolis (Minnesota, North Dakota, South Dakota), the set amount for a Mass offering is $10.

SEPARATE MASSES FOR SEPARATE INTENTIONS
According to c. 948, only one offering can be taken for one Mass, no matter how small the offering is. The donor’s intention, however, can include more than one person.

It is possible to accept several offerings for a ‘collective intention’ at a single Mass, if the following regulations are observed:

1. Each donor is informed of and consents to the combining of their offerings prior to the celebration of the Mass;

2. The place and time for the Mass are announced;

3. The practice is not observed more than twice a week;

4. The celebrant keeps for himself only the usual amount of a single Mass offering and sends the excess to the Chancery.

OFFERING OVER THE NORMAL AMOUNT
If a person offers money for the celebration of Masses, but does not indicate how many Masses are to be said, the number of Masses to be said is computed based on the normal amount of a Mass stipend.

Example: the normal Mass offering is $10; a person submits an offering of $80 but does not specify the number of Masses; 8 Masses for that intention should be said, appropriately spaced over a period of 24 months.

Canon law states "In accordance with the approved custom of the Church, any priest who celebrates or concelebrates a Mass may accept an offering to apply to Mass for a specific intention (Canon Law 945). The faithful who make an offering so that Mass can be celebrated for their intention, contribute to the good of the Church, and by the offering they share in the Church's concern for the support of its ministers, and its activities. (Canon Law 946) Separate Masses must be applied for the intention of those for whom an individual offering, even if small, has been made and accepted. (Canon Law 948) Accordingly, we can only accept one intention per Mass offering. We do accept intentions for deceased family members, i.e. The deceased members of the Smith Family, or for the deceased couple, i.e. +John & +Mary Smith.