Altar Rail Returning to Use

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Glad to see some churches putting back in the altar rails. They also have the practical use of separating the sanctuary from the part of the church that lay people are permitted inside.
 
Annabelle,

I was more refering to those who CAN kneel in the pews, because they have a way to help themselves up.

They might have a preference to kneel for Holy Communion but cannot, as there is no way to help themselves get up there.

As far as cost, if you look around, there is probably a prei-dieu already at your parish that can be used. If not a nearby parish or your diocese. Our diocese has a number of items in storage from parishes that closed down. That is where we got the swing torches that our altar boys used. Your parish can probably pick up a prie-dieu from your diocesan equivelent.
 
Brendan said:
Annabelle,

I was more refering to those who CAN kneel in the pews, because they have a way to help themselves up.

They might have a preference to kneel for Holy Communion but cannot, as there is no way to help themselves get up there.

As far as cost, if you look around, there is probably a prei-dieu already at your parish that can be used. If not a nearby parish or your diocese. Our diocese has a number of items in storage from parishes that closed down. That is where we got the swing torches that our altar boys used. Your parish can probably pick up a prie-dieu from your diocesan equivelent.
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By definition I would assume that those who might want to would also receive COTT…and there are very few of those.

Here in Oregon we don’t have a lot of closed parishes…more of two parishes sharing one priest. We did not see a lot of removal of altar rails… At any rate…the current church is too small to add anything to it…and really too cramped to even allow kneeling. Not something I would even suggest at this point. All energy really needs to go into building a new Church…this one was meant to be temporary…and here 40+years later we are in desperate need of a new building. I am told the new one will have space to add them later.
 
The_Curt_Jester said:
Glad to see some churches putting back in the altar rails. They also have the practical use of separating the sanctuary from the part of the church that lay people are permitted inside.
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A bit loaded yes… but sincere question.

What does that mean for the lectors and extra ordinary Eucharistic ministers?
 
Zosimus41 said:
A bit loaded yes… but sincere question.

What does that mean for the lectors and extra ordinary Eucharistic ministers?
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The altar rail traditionally marked the boundary between the sanctuary and the main body of the church. The sanctuary is particularly set aside for liturgical, especially priestly functions. Those directly involved in the liturgy, such as lectors and EMHC’s may enter the sanctuary in the course of doing those liturgical functions.
 
JimG said:
The altar rail traditionally marked the boundary between the sanctuary and the main body of the church. The sanctuary is particularly set aside for liturgical, especially priestly functions. Those directly involved in the liturgy, such as lectors and EMHC’s may enter the sanctuary in the course of doing those liturgical functions.
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JimG,

Thanks for your response!
 
It is preferable if the EMHCs never make it up the steps though. Way too much abuse in the use of those.
 
I am too young to remember, but how did semi invalids and those elderly with bad knees receive at the rail previously? Was there an accommodation or just help fgetting up and down from others? Thanks:o
 
fastenatingguy said:
I am too young to remember, but how did semi invalids and those elderly with bad knees receive at the rail previously? Was there an accommodation or just help fgetting up and down from others? Thanks:o
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If people really can’t kneel, they just stand at the rail.
 
I sure hope this spreads like wildfire and returns to my parish! Even at my Polish parish that I sometimes attend, while they still have the railing, people no longer line up and kneel at the altar. And elsewhere on this forum, I was just reading how we are not supposed to kneel to receive Communion if that’s not the way the parish is doing it. At the name of Jesus, every knee shall bend… and when I hear “the body of Christ”, my knee bends. It’s one thing to “modernize”, but it’s another entirely to remove all the beautiful opportunities for reverence that make being Catholic so rewarding.

Our parish had a huge metal screen set up on either side of the altar, behind one side was the choir, the other the “chapel” (ie. where they kept the tabernacle). Last Sunday, I finally felt as though I was entering the house of God - they removed the screens! It opened up the church, and you could immediately see the tabernacle. I spent some time in front of it that day, bc I finally remembered what it was supposed to feel like to be in a Catholic church.
 
Annabelle_Marie said:
Not wanting to start an argument…just a musing. Many people don’t kneel anymore because of bad knees. .
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We have a few people that really can’t kneel - in wheelchairs, or have a knee that can’t bend anymore in this earthly life. We help them to the rail, and they bow their heads and we are joyous that they can join us in receiving together.
 
I hope that Francis Cardinal Arinze hears of this; it will be sure to put a smile on his face, as it does mine!🙂
 
CaptFun said:
"March 8, 1958 " said the young priest beginning his homily **“you will *ALWAYS *** remember this date!”

True! With the other children in my class I sat waiting. The girls were resplendent in “immaculate” white dresses, lacy chapel veils concealing their carefully arranged hair and little white gloves; we boys wore pale blue neckties (like our Dads!) white shirts and dress coats - our Sunday bests for Our Lord (and the photos to come).

The day of Our First Communion was HERE! Latin, English. Crisply dressed altar boys reverently bowed and whispered Latin responses kneeling a step below the priest who faced … the altar, the tabernacle, the crucifix on the front wall (back to the congregation as if leading a procession to Jesus).

Maybe I’ll be an altar boy someday I mused. Slightly older than I, the altar boys had set the scene, reverently lighting all the altar candles, stopping to genuflect each time they passed in front of the holy tabernacle containing the most Holy Eucharist.

They knew each step, gesture, and Latin response. They bowed, brought forward the gifts. Poured the little vial of water over Father’s hands and held the purificator for him.

At the elevation of the consecrated Host they knelt ringing bells three times to call everyone’s attention to the Eucharistic Jesus held high in worship. Thrice more for the elevation of the Chalice.

The moment neared, we stood up and orderly processed to our spots behind those at the communion rail. They knelt, waiting. The priest himself, with blessed hands consecrated by a Bishop, approached, distributing the sacrament.

Eyes lowered, a dutiful altar boy held the golden paten beneath the chin of each communicant to catch any particle of the Eucharist wihich might fall.

I moved forward, knelt at the altar rail, hands folded, watching the others receive.

I received, reverently walked back to my place in the pew, closed my eyes and spoke to Jesus - now with me closer than ever before.

I felt a gentle warm feeling within. That nice feeling of being home and loved. The security of Dad and the tenderness of Mom all at once. We were told to speak to and listen to Jesus with our eyes closed right after communion.

I was glad I had gone to my first confession the afternoon before and had a clean soul to welcome the Lord to (after a LIFETIME of sinning)!

The dark confessional, looking at the crucifix of Jesus who’d died to save me from the sins I was about to have to confess. That screen slid open, I gulped out a “Bless me Father, this is my first confession …”.

My sins were probably parental disobedience and fighting with my sibling brother.
At any rate, the priest told me Jesus loved me very much and wanted me always to do better - and that I’d made a good confession (as I remember). Then came the words of
absolution. They might have been in Latin. But I emerged from that little closet clean … clean …FREE FROM SIN! Shining and ready for my FIRST communion.

Now it was ending. The priest had carefully cleaned the paten and chalice, consumed any remaining PARTICLE of the Holy Eucharist, In magnificent vestments he ceremonially gathered together the Chalice, purificator, pall, chalice veil, burse and corporal into their proper post-mass configuration, said the final prayers “Ite, missa est!”

“Deo Gratias!” we replied. And priest and altar boys bowed and genuflected to the remaining Eucharist in the centrally located and high golden tabernacle, with its nearby red sanctuary light indicating “HE is here!” … and left the sacristy.

In an orderly manner we waited to leave as the choir sang its Recessional hymn.
“Holy God we Praise Thy Name!”

As our turn to exit the pew came, we faced our Lord in the tabernacle, once more genuflected to Him as we’d done when we’d entered the church; turned and exited.

Back to the world now. Relatives, presents, a party at home. Cards with money in them. Prayer books, missals, prayer card bookmarkers. Grandparents, cousins and the glow of Jesus still within me.

“I will never forget this day,” I thought, the priests words echoing in my ear.

The women were happily gathered in the kitchen preparing one delight after another wihile they conversed. The men were in the yard and the living room excited about the new baseball season - Milwaukee Braves World Champs! Ernie Banks! Luis Aparicio!

I could feel God smiling at all of the wonderful people he’d made. Heaven was going to be better than THIS?

Communion rails. Genuflectiing to Our Lord. The reverence of my elders. Chapel veils and hats of the women. The clicking of high heels as they processed to communion. The rustle of the men’s corduroy pants.

The holy tabernacle high, exalted and central as God’s throne (and how I looked at it during the Holy, Holy, Holy because that’s where Jesus WAS).

Things changed. If if was fine with the Church it was good by me. Guitars, organs, both good! Priest facing the people? Jesus probably faced the apostles. New music? Why not if its good … though for a while only the choir knows the new ones.

A culture of “coming closer to Christ” and “worshipping as a community” was the rationale.
A little more horizontal (we) celebration in the mass instead of giving the Lord his own hour of Kingly worship (vertical) with solemn reverence.

God and neighbor. We are to love them both. Today, when I see that altar rails are returning, I rejoice. Reverence is needed. More important than the rail will be the return
of tabernacles to front, center and high (as is proper to the guest of honor and master of the house).

We WILL have to remember to bend the knees again. And it might be harder than when I was 7. But every knee shall bow and tongue will tell that “Jesus Christ is LORD!” :angel1:
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55 Years Ago today – posted with 26 minutes left. 😉 :crossrc:
 
How does this impact distribution under both species? That would be my main concern…or have we decided it was appropriate to go back to denying parishioners the opportunity to partake in the precious blood?

I suppose you can always kneel for the host and then go off to the side for the cup on your way back to the pew.
 
odile53 said:
There’s a very practical issue that occurs when communion rails are absent: Unless you have the knees of a gymnast, it’s difficult to go up to the sanctuary and kneel down to pray in front of the tabernacle, or the Exposed Eucharist, because then you have to get up without assistance. A nice, stable, anchored communion rail makes that a lot easier for those of us with bad knees.
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That’s a really good point that I hadn’t thought about (but probably will, more, as I get older…).
 
I would love to see all parishes return to using the altar rail. Since people have to kneel to receive Holy Communion at the altar rail, it would probably weed out the proud. And the numbers who receive Holy Communion might become more in proportion to the number of those who go to Confession. It would make it harder for people such as satanists and “gay” activists going up with the intention of causing public scandal.
 
For 2,000 years, Catholicism was unique. Whether a result of misinterpretation or not, Catholicism changed following Vatican II. The recent resurgence in traditional rites and practices, including the Latin Mass, communion rails, mantillas, etc., is very welcoming. Catholics were starting to resemble Protestants. Once more, we are starting to look like the Catholic Church of old. Thank God!
 
mburn16 said:
How does this impact distribution under both species? That would be my main concern…or have we decided it was appropriate to go back to denying parishioners the opportunity to partake in the precious blood?

I suppose you can always kneel for the host and then go off to the side for the cup on your way back to the pew.
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In the Anglican Use of the Roman Rite, they distribute under both species while kneeling. It works just fine. The priest goes down the line with the Body of Christ and the Deacon follows right behind him with the Blood. No problems at all. I would assume the parishes which have come in through the Ordinariate do the same, but I have not attended their liturgy.

Another potential solution, which seem idea to me is to bring back communion via intinction, and give deacons faculties to distribute in that way also.
 
Tampa_Dave said:
Once more, we are starting to look like the Catholic Church of old. Thank God!
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While I certainly admire and applaud your optimism, I would suggest we still have a very long way to go. We will be lucky to see the full realization of the “Reform of the Reform” in our lifetimes throughout the Universal Church.

The article to start this thread is nice, and I hope it spreads. However, outside of an Anglican Use Parish or the EF of the Mass, I have never come across an Altar Rail in use. I don’t know any parishes anywhere who use it in the OF, though I would be entirely supportive of it.
 
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