Reimagining Mass Requests for Today’s Catholic Donor

Legionaries of Christ — Mass Request Program

The Challenge

The Legionaries of Christ (LOC) had a growing Mass request program that relied heavily on manual processes and disconnected systems. While they maintained a donor database in Salesforce, their previous online platform offered only basic functionality, with no direct integration between website orders and donor records.

Online Mass requests were processed one at a time through a third-party system, with no shopping cart, no user accounts, and no way for donors to preview the spiritual cards they were requesting. Each transaction triggered a lengthy internal workflow that required staff to retype or paste order details into Salesforce, increasing the risk of errors and duplicated data. LOC staff also had to manage the assignment of Masses to priests manually, and physically write out the printed card materials, adding to the administrative burden.

The Solution

Lava designed and developed a clean, welcoming, and fully branded WordPress website powered by WooCommerce. The new platform was built from the ground up to accommodate both member and guest checkouts, provide an intuitive Mass request shopping experience, and tightly sync with LOC’s Salesforce donor database.

Key features included:

Modern WooCommerce shopping cart with support for multiple Mass types and personalized eCard options
Seamless donor experience across desktop and mobile, with optional account creation
Custom backend integration to automatically sync online donor data and orders with Salesforce, eliminating duplicate entry
eCard creation and delivery system with scheduled sending and email delivery tracking
Bulk print fulfillment system that allows LOC staff to generate mail-ready Mass requests without manual retyping
Custom questionnaires created by Lava to gather donor and staff input before development began, ensuring the system was tailored to LOC’s real-world needs

“The LC Mass request team has finally hit a home run when we hired Lava New Media. Their professionalism is unmatched. Ed, Tom, and Dave are like the dream team. Handling no stone unturned. It has been an absolute pleasure working with such professionals, and not only that, but they are also just good, solid men. We made the right decision!”

Barbara DiSpirito

Director Legion of Christ Mass Request Program

The Outcome

What Made It Complex

This project required more than a cosmetic website overhaul. Lava had to translate complex internal workflows into scalable digital logic, seamlessly integrating WordPress and WooCommerce with LOC’s Salesforce instance, while building tools for both donor engagement and staff fulfillment.

The custom Salesforce integration ensures that every online order updates donor records in real time, while the new fulfillment process dramatically reduces the administrative overhead associated with preparing cards for mailing.

Enhancing the Experience

Salesforce-Integrated Order Fulfillment
A fully automated backend pipeline now syncs every online Mass request with Salesforce, ensuring donor records are always up to date, without duplication or manual entry.

eCard Automation
Online donors can choose to send a digital eCard along with their Mass request. These cards are automatically emailed to recipients immediately or on a scheduled date, no manual sending required by LOC staff.

Priest Assignment Portal (Coming Soon)
Lava is currently developing a secure priest-facing portal that will allow internal staff to assign Masses to clergy across all LOC locations and expedite Mass stipend payments. This Phase Two enhancement will further reduce administrative effort while improving transparency and timeliness.