Are offerings required for Mass intentions?

[mgrahn]

My mother passed away last November. She did not really belong to a parish because she was in a rest home for the last 5 years and was not mobile. I went to my parish pastor for an appointment for other matters and mentioned to him in passing that my mother passed away and inquired to him about intentions for her at Mass. He did not respond positively about this at all. I kind of got the impression that he wanted a fee in order to do this or that it was not really an option. I left the appointment rather confused. She was a Catholic!!!

What is the procedure to have intentions for a loved one who passed away? I got kind of turned off by this response.

[Fr. Charles Grondin]

You can certainly have a Mass intention for your deceased mother. While there is no fee for a Mass intention, it is recommended that the person requesting the intention make an offering. Usually the recommended offering is $5 or $10 per Mass (sometimes a little more if music is involved). However this recommended offering in no way, shape, or form can be required for the Mass intention to be said (canons 945 §2, 947).

This may all be a misunderstanding. I would suggest talking to the priest again.