Missionaries warn retailers over pre-signed Mass cards

“IF I opened a head shop here, I wouldn’t be facing penalties like these,” a newsagent said when reminded he could serve 10 years in jail or face fines as high as €300,000 for selling pre-signed Mass cards.

Just when you thought it was safe to buy everything in your local shop, the Missionaries of the Sacred Heart (MSC) have reminded retailers of the illegality of selling pre-signed cards.

“Such cards have no spiritual value. They falsify the significance of the eucharist and trade on the faith and goodwill of people. It is a commercial operation with profit as its motive. Those who engage or facilitate this practice, including the shops that offer them for sale, seriously exploit the eucharist and its sacred character,” the letter to shopkeepers states.