Communion line- from the front or back?

[amerrychase]

I had the opportunity to attend Mass in the diocese just north of mine today - and ooh, it was fabulous - but I got a little confused when the Communion line started. The congregation stood as a whole, and the line worked its way up from the back of the church. (I noticed this same thing at another church in the diocese a few years ago, but assumed it was a one-off.) All the other churches I’ve been to leave the congregation kneeling/sitting, then the line works towards the back. This isn’t a complaint, I just wondered what the idea behind it would be.

Thoughts? How does your Communion line work?

 

[Phemie]

Those seated at both sides of the center aisle usually start at the front. Those in the side sections wend their way to the back and come up the center aisle. We’re not directed, it’s just the way it has developed over the years.

The one reason I can think of to do it back to front is if the people return to their pews in the same aisle as they go up. Then starting from the back makes sense, since you won’t have to cut into the liine to get back into your pews.

 

[ConstantineTG]

It works any which way. In the Philippines big parishes are packed (over 1000 people per Mass) yet its a free-for-all for Communion.

 

[Mark1970]

Starts with the front row on either side and works its way row-by-row to the back. But we also get one or two people who sit near the back and yet “jump the queue” by going up before the rest of their row.

 

[puzzleannie]

I but I got a little confused when the Communion line started. The congregation stood as a whole, and the line worked its way up from the back of the church. (?

AD of Los Angeles for one does it this way, Cardinal Mahoney had an instruction and video prepared for his people some years back on full active participation and this is one of the things recommended, along with singing in the communion procession. In our neighboring parish the rather awkward modern architecture of the church seems to make this plan work better. let’s hope the ushers are on the ball and someone instructs newcomers what to expect.

there is actually no reason why there has to be an orderly procession row by row except crowd control. In Mexico in most places, as in the Basilica last night, people just come forward from wherever to the closest communion station.

 

[thistle]

It works any which way. In the Philippines big parishes are packed (over 1000 people per Mass) yet its a free-for-all for Communion.

I second that!!

 

[Phemie]

When I think of this subject, which I only do when this type of thread crops up, I remember the first time we were instructed to wait for the usher to direct our row to Communion in the parish where I grew up. It was Midnight Mass, probably when I was in high school, so late 60s. The next day things went back to how it had been when we were going to kneel at the rail.

The next year, Midnight Mass, ushers again directing traffic. I’m almost certain that after that second time we started to go row by row at all Masses. I haven’t been to many parishes where they don’t do it that way and I’ve never seen ushers directing traffic since that second Midnight Mass. When things work well, we learn to do it that way.

I think I’ve already mentioned that in our parish people are so polite on this front that Father sometimes has to wait to give Communion until the first person makes it to him. I’m reminded of Chip ‘n’ Dale “After you.” “No, after you.” “Oh, I insist, after you…”

 

[liturgyluver]

Normally from the front, but it all looks very chaotic sometime and sometimes people push to the front. I can’t understand the rush - it sometimes looks like the departure lounge of a budget airline.

In large parishes they should use an usher like the Anglicans do - it looks so much more dignified.

 

[Mrs_Sally]

Traditionally it has always been that people go up when they are ready. So a ‘free-for-all’ if you will, but it’s certainly one way to make sure no one is staring when you don’t receive that week. When we all go up row by row (whether from the front or the back), it can create a lemming like reaction that causes everyone to receive even if they aren’t properly disposed.

All that said, in my parish we go up from the front to the back with 8 stations across the front of the church (2 in each aisle).

 

[silicasandra]

Our parish, which is really large, has ushers that direct traffic. It’s not a very complicated system but with so many people it can be a bit of a zoo. The chalice recently began being offered so our whole system is changing, which of course upsets some people.

When I was in college, every start of the new semester brought a brief announcement about the “formation” for Communion, since Mass was celebrated in an interdenominational chapel (pews were curved and separated into thirds) and it was definitely not built with the Mass in mind! But we made it work.

I’ve never been anywhere that it seemed like a free-for-all, except at our parish picnic this summer when Mass was held outside and there weren’t really any “pews” to speak of to organize us.

 

[dconklin]

My current church is fan shaped. Two big center sections with smaller sections on each side. We start the communion line with the side sections coming around the back and up the center aisle and then continue with the back rows of the main sections working up to the front row. The church I was married in is a free-for-all and it feels like trying to get in a subway car at rush hour.

 

[ConstantineTG]

I second that!!

Its a free for all in my Ukrainian parish as well, but given there’s only about 20-30 people its not as chaotic.

But communion lines in the Philippines are much like the traffic on the street. Its packed, its chaotic, you can’t understand whats going on, but at the end of the day everyone gets where they need to go and everyone comes out of it alive

 

[SMHW]

AD of Los Angeles for one does it this way, Cardinal Mahoney had an instruction and video prepared for his people some years back on full active participation and this is one of the things recommended, along with singing in the communion procession.

…and that is how it is done in my parish.

But it hasn’t been my experience that many parishes in the Archdiocese of Los Angeles actually adopted the back to front lines.

 

[centurionguard]

Those seated at both sides of the center aisle usually start at the front. Those in the side sections wend their way to the back and come up the center aisle. We’re not directed, it’s just the way it has developed over the years.

The one reason I can think of to do it back to front is if the people return to their pews in the same aisle as they go up. Then starting from the back makes sense, since you won’t have to cut into the line to get back into your pews.

The way you describe here is identical in my Parish.
But I think as ConstantineTG described it really does work anyway as long as there is some structured “common sense” and politeness amongst other fellow parishioners it works fine anyway.

I remember going up for Holy Communion as I felt so inclined. Too much excessive structure and order sometimes looks like a Military parade.

 

[ConstantineTG]

The way you describe here is identical in my Parish.
But I think as ConstantineTG described it really does work anyway as long as there is some structured “common sense” and politeness amongst other fellow parishioners it works fine anyway.

I remember going up for Holy Communion as I felt so inclined. Too much excessive structure and order sometimes looks like a Military parade.

I don’t know if I can apply politeness and common sense to what I have been describing. But somehow, someway it works.

 

[thistle]

Its a free for all in my Ukrainian parish as well, but given there’s only about 20-30 people its not as chaotic.

But communion lines in the Philippines are much like the traffic on the street. Its packed, its chaotic, you can’t understand whats going on, but at the end of the day everyone gets where they need to go and everyone comes out of it alive

Like I’ve mentioned in other threads our parish of 14,000 has an 80% Mass attendence rate which is why we have 10 Masses every Sunday but even then its still pretty hectic trying to receive.