Around the Parish – November 16, 2025
Nursing Home Gift Tree
Tags and gifts are due back to church next Sunday! Thank you for helping us bring joy to residents in our local nursing homes this Christmas. Please be sure that all tags and gifts are returned on time so that every person receives their gift.
Poinsettia Order Form
Don’t forget to turn in your poinsettia order forms for our Christmas sanctuary decorations. Each poinsettia is $20 and may be purchased in memory of a loved one. Please return your forms to the parish office by Sunday, November 30.
Cookie Walk and Soup Sale
Sign-up sheets are still available at the church entrances to make soup, bake cookies, or volunteer at our Cookie Walk and Soup Sale. Your help makes this festive parish tradition possible—please sign up today!
Soup containers will be available for pickup next Sunday in the main vestibule of church for all those who are making soup. Thank you again to all our volunteers!
Ministers Schedule
We will soon begin preparing the next Ministry Schedule (January–April) through Ministry Scheduler Pro. If you know of any dates you will be unavailable, please update your preferences online as soon as possible. Thank you for your continued dedication to our parish liturgies!
#iGiveCatholic
Giving Tuesday and #iGiveCatholic are right around the corner! This year’s campaign will fund critical upgrades and repairs to our church’s handicapped entrance. We are seeking to raise the remaining $88,400 to complete the project.
We are thrilled to announce a $15,000 matching donation! Every gift up to $15,000 will be matched dollar-for-dollar, meaning your generosity will go twice as far—bringing us closer to making our church truly open and welcoming to all.
Every dollar given through #iGiveCatholic stays right here at Immaculate Heart of Mary Parish.
To learn more or make a gift, please visit ihmercer.org/igivecatholic.
A few thoughts for your week:
As we move closer to Thanksgiving, take a moment to recognize the quiet ways God has blessed your life this week. Gratitude opens our hearts to see His presence even in ordinary moments. Everything we have is a gift from God. This week, look for one small way to return that gift—through kindness, generosity, or time spent in prayer. Giving and gratitude go hand in hand. Each act of generosity, no matter how small, builds up the Kingdom of God right where we are. As darkness falls earlier each evening, remember: even the smallest light can change the night. Be that light for someone this week.
Pax et Bonum,
Fr. Andy
The Power and Tradition of Mass Intentions
The Mass is considered the greatest prayer of intercession in the Church. This is because it is the perfect offering of Christ to the Father, making present the Paschal Mystery of His death and resurrection. Traditionally, a Priest may be requested to offer a Mass for a specific intention, even if the requester cannot be physically present.
Offering Masses for the Deceased:
Having a Mass offered for a deceased person is an ancient and commendable practice. A Mass is offered to pray for the departed, that they may find peace in heaven. Since each Mass holds infinite value, requesting one or several Masses is of tremendous benefit to the person prayed for, as well as their family, who can take comfort in knowing that their intention is united with the prayers of the Church.
The Mass: Center of Christian Life:
Every Mass is a precious gift from God. It is the center of the Church’s life, known as “the source and summit of the Christian life,” because in the celebration of the Mass, we are brought back to Jesus’ Last Supper, the first Mass. We consciously recall the love of God poured out for us through the life, death, and resurrection of His only Son, Jesus Christ. At each Mass, all the intentions of God’s people, both living and deceased, are included. As Pope Paul VI noted in his motu proprio “Firma in Traditione,” the faithful, moved by an ecclesial and religious sense, join their own sacrifices to the Eucharistic sacrifice, participating more intensely and supporting the Church’s needs, especially its ministers.
Requesting a Mass Intention:
Anyone may request a Mass Intention for a living person, a deceased person, members of a family, or a special intention appropriate to the celebration of the Eucharist, such as World Peace, Vocations, or Respect for Life. The Church allows only one intention per Mass.
Offering a Mass Stipend:
The normal stipend offering for a Mass is $10. However, a Mass Offering can be more or less than the suggested amount, depending on the financial position of the person requesting the Mass. Envelopes for Mass intention requests are available at the entrances of the church. These envelopes can be placed in the collection basket or returned to the parish office. The requester may also ask for a card to be sent to notify someone that a Mass Intention has been requested (one card per intention). Please note that the name of the person(s) requesting the Mass is not announced.