St. Thomas the Apostle Catholic Church uses this website to manage Mass intention requests. Here are answers to common questions about requesting a Mass and making an offering. Visit www.staphx.org for more information.
A Mass intention is the person or purpose a Mass is offered for. You can request a Mass for the repose of someone who has died, for someone living, or for a particular need such as healing, thanksgiving, or guidance.
Choose "Request a Mass" in the menu. The form asks for your intention, a preferred date, and an optional offering. You can add several Masses and submit them together, and you don't need an account.
No. You can submit a request as a guest by providing your name and either an email address or phone number. If you give a phone number, we text you a 6-digit code to confirm it before you check out, since that number is the only way we can reach you afterward. If you give an email address and include an online offering, your payment confirms your contact and no code is needed; otherwise, you'll enter a code we email you before submitting. An account lets you track all your requests from a personal dashboard, and you never have to set one up yourself: clicking the link in any email we send signs you in and creates it for you.
Yes. On the Your Information step of the request form, and on the sign-in and register pages, click "Continue with Google" to sign in with a Google account. The form keeps your progress, and after signing in you return to where you left off without a verification code. If you already have an account with the same email, Google sign-in links to it.
Yes. Pick a preferred date on the calendar in the request form. The parish will try to schedule your Mass on that date, but it depends on availability. We'll let you know once your Mass is scheduled.
You can request up to 50 Masses in a single submission, and one intention can ask for several Masses. Your parish may also limit how many Mass intentions one person can request per day, month, or year. The form tells you when you can't add another Mass.
No. Under Canon Law, a Mass offering is voluntary, and no Mass is ever withheld for lack of one. If you choose to give, your offering supports the parish and its priests.
The request form shows a suggested amount, but you can offer more, less, or nothing at all.
You can pay online with a credit card, debit card, or Apple Pay during the request process.
If you pay online, a small processing fee is added to your payment so the parish receives your full offering. You'll see the exact fee before you pay.
For a refund, contact the parish. If your Mass intention is canceled, whether you cancel it or the parish does, what you paid is returned to your card.
Nothing is charged and no request is submitted. An hour later we send you one reminder with a link that restores everything you entered. It comes by email, or by text if your account is set to receive texts. The link works for 7 days.
If you submitted as a guest, you'll confirm your contact info by entering a 6-digit code we send to your email or phone. After that (or right away, if you're signed in, or gave an email address and did not choose to pay in person), a parish administrator reviews your request and schedules the Mass. We'll send you the date and time once it's scheduled.
You'll receive a notification by email or text message (depending on your preferences) with the scheduled date, time, and location of your Mass. Email notifications also include a calendar invitation you can add to Google Calendar, Outlook, or Apple Calendar.
Yes. You'll receive a reminder by email or text message the day before your scheduled Mass, in case you'd like to attend.
After the Mass is celebrated, you'll receive a notification confirming that the Mass was offered for your intention.
Yes. You can cancel a pending request from your dashboard. If you paid online and the Mass has not yet been scheduled, what you paid is returned to your card.
A Mass card tells a friend or relative that a Mass will be offered for them or for someone they love. People send them to express sympathy, mark a special occasion, or let someone know they are in their prayers.
There are two options:
When you request the Mass, choose a Postcard (mailed to the US or Canada) or an Email card. After checkout, open the intention on your dashboard to finish the card: add the recipient's name, choose who the card says the Mass is offered for (the recipient, someone else such as a loved one who has died, or a special intention), and pick a design. A Postcard also needs their mailing address and your return address, which we save for next time. An Email card needs their email address, and until it is sent you can switch it to a Postcard there.
Yes. Each intention on your dashboard shows its Mass card, and an intention without one offers to send one. An Email card is free and is sent right away; a Postcard is paid for, then printed and mailed.
Email cards are sent as soon as you finish them on your dashboard. We review each Postcard within 2 business days of when you finish it, then send it to our printer to be mailed.
They see a page with the Mass intention, who requested it, and the date of the Mass. They can sign up for updates about the Mass and send a thank-you note to the priest or to you. They never see how much you offered.
Yes. Once your Mass has been offered, choose "Mass Card" on the intention in your dashboard to print it or download it as a PDF.
Sign in and open your dashboard to see all your Mass intentions and their status. The link in any email we send also takes you there, even if you never created an account: it signs you in and sets one up for you. If you're already signed in with a different email address, we ask before switching accounts.
Requested: Your intention has been submitted and is awaiting scheduling.
Scheduled: Your Mass has been assigned a date and time.
Fulfilled: The Mass has been celebrated for your intention.
Only if you register with a mobile phone number or add one to your account. Text messages are about your account and your requests: verification codes, request confirmations, scheduling updates, reminders, offering receipts, and tips for your next request. We do not send marketing or promotional messages. You can choose to receive notifications by email, text message, or both from your profile page.
Reply STOP to any message we send and you will be unsubscribed at the number you replied from. Reply START to resubscribe, or HELP for support contact information. You can also change your notification channel to email only from your profile page.
Yes. The Email Address and Phone Number cards on your profile page each let you add another one, and you can sign in with any of them. Everything stays on one account, so a Mass you request from a personal address shows up alongside everything else. We send a code to the new address to confirm it is yours, and ask you to confirm your identity first so nobody can add an address to your account while you are away from your screen. If the address already belongs to another account, contact us and we will help you combine them.
Texts usually arrive within seconds, though carriers sometimes delay them. If a minute passes, choose Call me instead and we will call your number and read the code out, or request a new code and check that you entered a US or Canadian number. If you enter a landline, we call it with the code automatically, since landlines can't receive texts. We can't reach numbers outside the US and Canada. Each code expires after 10 minutes. If you still have trouble, contact us.
If your question isn't answered here, contact us.
