Around the Parish – July 26, 2026
Homebound Ministry
As we prepare to begin our renewed Homebound Ministry, we invite parishioners who are unable to attend Mass because of illness, age, or other circumstances to contact Deacon Edgar Gonzalez. Those who wish to participate will be added to a monthly visitation rotation.
Each visit will offer an opportunity for conversation, companionship, prayer, and the reception of Holy Communion. Visits will be made by trained parish volunteers. Although an official starting date has not yet been established, we hope to begin this ministry in the near future.
If you or someone in your household would like to receive monthly visits, please contact Deacon Edgar at (724) 662-2999, option 6, or emailing egonzalez@ihmercer.org.
Theme Basket Raffle
Our Theme Basket Raffle is always one of the highlights of the annual Spaghetti Dinner. It is also a wonderful way for parishioners, local businesses, and friends of the parish to help make this important event a success. We are grateful to everyone who donates a completed basket, gathers items, contacts potential donors, or helps organize and promote the raffle.
Each completed basket should have a total value of at least $50 and must be accompanied by an itemized list of its contents. Baskets should be delivered to the Immaculate Heart of Mary Parish Office no later than August 23. Receiving them by this date will give us sufficient time to organize the baskets, prepare the displays, and promote the raffle.
Please do not include alcoholic beverages such as wine, beer, or liquor. Gift cards and vouchers for restaurants or businesses that serve alcohol are permitted.
Before making a formal donation request to a business, organization, or individual, please notify the parish office. This will help us avoid approaching the same donor more than once and ensure that everyone who contributes is properly recognized and thanked.
Thank you for sharing your generosity and creativity with our parish. Your participation helps make the Theme Basket Raffle a joyful and successful part of our Spaghetti Dinner!
Oremus: A Guide to Catholic Prayer
Would you like to deepen your relationship with God and become more confident in prayer? Deacon Edgar Gonzalez will lead Oremus: A Guide to Catholic Prayer, an eight-week study offering practical guidance for developing a richer and more faithful prayer life.
Whether prayer comes naturally to you or you sometimes struggle to know how to begin, this study will help you learn to speak with God, listen for his voice, and recognize his presence in your daily life. The group will meet on Wednesdays from August 12 through September 30 at 6:30 PM in the parish conference room. The cost is $20 per person.
To register, please contact the parish office at (724) 662-2999 or email office@ihmercer.org. Anyone who desires to grow closer to the Lord through prayer is warmly encouraged to participate.
Here’s a thought for your week ahead:
This week, pay attention to the people whom God places before you. A telephone call, a brief visit, a sincere conversation, or a quiet prayer may seem like a small gesture, but it can become a powerful sign of Christ’s love. We do not need to accomplish something extraordinary to serve the Lord. We need only to notice, to care, and to make ourselves available.
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.