Information about the Prayers of the Faithful

When the Mass was revised after the Second Vatican Council, the Church restored what the bishops called "the universal prayer or prayer of the faithful." They wrote, "By this prayer, in which the people are to take part, intercession will be made for holy Church, for the civil authorities, for those oppressed by various needs, for all people, and for the salvation of the entire world."

This prayer has three important characteristics:
   1. It is a petition addressed to God. It is not an expression of adoration or thanksgiving, nor praise of a saint. It is also not explicit instruction on truths of faith or religious obligation.
   2. It is a petition to God chiefly for blessings of a universal kind. It is a prayer for the whole Church, the world, and those with various needs. However, it is also appropriate to pray for the faithful who make up the assembly.
   3. It belongs to the whole congregation. We all pray for every intention, responding together to each invitation to "pray to the Lord." It is also for this reason that we will incorporate intentions submitted by individuals in the community.

To add your intention to those to be read at an upcoming Sunday Mass, write your intention on a piece of paper and place it in the Sunday collection basket. Prayers may be edited for length, form, and style before they are used at Mass.

Remember, the intercessions of the Prayer of the Faithful should be general in their scope. They should voice the needs of the entire community, not only the personal concerns of individuals. For example, rather than praying specifically for your child who is about to begin college, you might write, "Let us pray for all students leaving home for the first time, that as they grow in their independence they learn to depend increasingly upon God."

If you are sick and would like the People of God to pray for you by name at Mass, please speak with our Deacon or Pastoral Associate.