Around the Parish – August 23, 2026
Sunday Mass Schedule Changes September 6
With the new school year just around the corner, please remember that our regular Sunday Mass schedule returns on Sunday, September 6.
Beginning that weekend, Sunday Masses will once again be celebrated at:
8:00 AM and 11:00 AM
Please mark your calendars and help spread the word!
Faith Formation Schedule
Included in this weekend’s bulletin is the most up-to-date schedule for Faith Formation. Please note one important change: our first day of Faith Formation has been moved from September 6 to September 13.
Parents, please be sure to update your calendars. We are looking forward to welcoming everyone back for another year of growing together in faith!
IHM Is Partnering with Hallow!
Last week we announced that Immaculate Heart of Mary Parish is partnering with Hallow, the Catholic prayer and meditation app. Now we want you to join us!
Our first goal is simple: download Hallow and join the IHM parish community in the app.
Once you have the Hallow app, look for the Church section and search for Immaculate Heart of Mary Parish in Mercer. Join our parish page so that you can participate with the rest of our parish community.
Over the coming weeks, we will begin sharing prayer opportunities and challenges through Hallow as we learn together how to make daily prayer a greater part of our lives.
If you have never used Hallow before, this is a great time to give it a try. For now, just join us. We’ll take it from there together!
Here’s a Few Thoughts for Your Week Ahead
Don’t underestimate the value of a fresh start. A new school year is approaching, schedules are changing, and routines are returning. Maybe there is one good habit you have been meaning to begin again. This might be the week to start. Call someone you haven’t talked to in a while. We are very good at thinking, “I should call them sometime.” Make sometime this week. Leave a little room in your schedule. Not every hour needs to be productive. Sometimes the best moments of a week are the ones we never planned.
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.
