Unscheduled and Special Intentions

Not every Mass intention needs to be tied to a specific date. Sacramentum offers several ways to request intentions when flexibility is needed or when you want to honor a venerable Church tradition.

Unscheduled intentions

An unscheduled intention is a Mass intention request where you don't select a specific Mass. Instead, the parish schedules it for an available Mass at their discretion.

When to use unscheduled intentions:

• You want a Mass offered but don't have a preferred date
• All scheduled Masses are fully booked for the dates you wanted
• You're requesting multiple intentions and want the parish to distribute them

Requesting an unscheduled intention

1. From the intention calendar, click Unscheduled Intention in the header options.
2. Select the Intention Type from the dropdown.
3. Enter the Intention text (who or what you're praying for).
4. Choose a Quantity if you want multiple intentions offered.
5. Fill in your contact information.
6. Click Add to Cart.

The form shows how many unscheduled slots are available. If slots are limited, you may need to wait or contact the parish directly.

How unscheduled intentions are scheduled

After you submit and pay, parish staff reviews your request and assigns it to an available Mass. You'll be notified once the Mass is scheduled.

Mass form preference

Some parishes offer both the Ordinary Form (standard) and Extraordinary Form (Traditional Latin Mass). If your parish enables this option, you can specify:

• No preference — the parish assigns whichever Mass is available
• Ordinary Form — request a standard Mass
• Extraordinary Form — request a Traditional Latin Mass

If this option doesn't appear, your parish hasn't enabled it or only offers one form.

Gregorian Mass series

A Gregorian Mass series is 30 consecutive daily Masses offered for a single deceased person. This ancient tradition, named after Pope St. Gregory the Great, has been practiced in the Church for over 1,400 years.

Key characteristics:

• Exactly 30 Masses celebrated on 30 consecutive days
• Always offered for the deceased (never for living persons)
• The entire series is for one individual
• Different priests may celebrate the Masses across the 30 days

Requesting a Gregorian Mass series

1. From the intention calendar, click Gregorian Mass in the header options.
2. Enter the Deceased Name — the person for whom the 30 Masses will be offered.
3. Add any Additional Notes for the parish.
4. Review the scheduling option (see below).
5. Fill in your contact information.
6. Click Add to Cart.

Scheduling options

Depending on your parish's settings, you may see two options:

Scheduled series (default) The form displays the next available 30-day window. You'll see the start and end dates in a confirmation box. The parish has already verified these dates are available.

Unscheduled series If you toggle Schedule Later, you're requesting the series without specific dates. The parish will find an appropriate 30-day window and notify you once scheduled.

When to choose "Schedule Later"

Use the unscheduled option if the displayed dates don't work for you, or if you prefer the parish to find dates that accommodate their schedule.

Stipend for Gregorian Masses

The stipend for a Gregorian series covers all 30 Masses as a single offering. The total amount is displayed clearly before you add it to your cart.

Early requests

Early requests let you book Mass intentions for dates beyond the standard scheduling window. While most parishes allow requests up to one year in advance, early requests extend that to two years or more.

When to use early requests:

• Planning a significant anniversary (death anniversary, wedding anniversary)
• Reserving a specific date with personal meaning
• Ensuring availability for a future occasion you won't forget

Requesting an early intention

1. From the intention calendar, click Early Request in the header options.
2. Select the Location where you'd like the Mass offered.
3. Use the date picker to select your Requested Date (the available window is displayed).
4. Complete the intention details and contact information.
5. Click Add to Cart.

The date picker only allows dates within the early request window — typically starting one year from today and extending up to two years out, depending on parish settings.

Not all parishes accept early requests

Early requests are an optional feature. If you don't see this option, your parish may not have enabled it. Contact the parish office for requests far in advance.

How early requests are processed

After payment, your early request enters a pending state. The parish will:

1. Review the request
2. Schedule it for an available Mass on your requested date (or as close as possible)
3. Notify you once scheduled

Since schedules that far out may not be finalized, the parish assigns your intention as Mass times are confirmed.

Comparing intention types

Feature	Regular	Unscheduled	Gregorian	Early Request
Select specific Mass	Yes	No	Dates shown or deferred	Date only, not Mass
Multiple quantities	No	Yes	No (30 fixed)	No
For deceased only	No	No	Yes	No
How far in advance	Up to 1 year	N/A	Next available window	1-2+ years

Privacy options

All special intention types support the same privacy settings as regular intentions:

• Private Intention — your intention is not published in the bulletin
• Hide Name from Bulletin — your intention is published, but your name as requester is not shown

What's next

• Your Shopping Cart and Checkout — complete your intention request
• Your Parishioner Dashboard — track all your intentions
• Requesting a Mass Intention — request a regular scheduled Mass intention

Related articles

• Creating an Account — register to track your intentions
• Viewing Mass Times — see when Masses are scheduled