Getting rid of kneelers

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ratio1 said:
I suppose their reasoning do make sense though. Kneelers can be dangerous.
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That’s a terrible excuse. It’s more dangerous to drive to mass.

Someone is trying to eliminate kneeling at mass - that’s what’s going on.
 
it’s difficult to kneel; so some of us try other alternatives
 
for whatever reason; the back few pews at my church have no kneelers; i suspect father ran out of money when my church was renovated

i try to sit there; because kneeling is a little bit painful

if those seats are taken ; i just go to the pew that has kneelers and do the “kneel half-sit ass-squat”

that’s the best i can do

even genuflecting is a little painful and i feel as though i am calling unwanted attention myself
 
i’ll just add this

at the marian shrine that i attend mass at from time to time (not my regular parish) there are no kneelers

SO; the attendees assume a variety of stances that one would normally assume to be kneeling

some kneel on the concrete floor; some bring personal kneeler cushions, some sit, some stand…

kind of a circus, frankly…
 
ratio1 said:
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phil19034:
That’s a terrible excuse. It’s more dangerous to drive to mass.
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The priest can’t change the risk of people driving. He can change the risk of kneelers.
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Please show us the studies that were commissioned that show that kneelers are dangerous and an such a safety hazard that they need to be removed.

Seriously, if this was true, the parish’s annual insurance bill would be reduced after removing the kneelers. If father calls his insurance company and says “I removed the kneelers from all the pews, could you please lower our liability insurance” the insurance rep would laugh.

Removing kneelers because they are dangerous is totally ridiculous. Candles at mass are far more dangerous. Is father going to replace the tabernacle candle with a flame-less candle?

Steps in/and out of the Church building are most likely more dangerous than the kneelers, walking to and from the car in the parish parking lot is most likely more dangerous too.

If this was true, the Pope & Bishops would be discussing it worldwide. I’m sorry, but this is one of the biggest whoopers I’ve ever seen - pushed by people who want to eliminate kneeling during mass.

God bless
 
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It’s ok. I’m just trying to be a devils advocate here. I’m not sure what the correct appproach is.
 
ratio1 said:
It’s ok. I’m just trying to be a devils advocate here. I’m not sure what the correct appproach is.
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Simply ask Father why the parish is removing the kneelers and to provide numbers to back up his reasoning.

And if father (or the parish council) is unwilling to listen to reason, send a signed letter to the Bishop expressing your concerns. Do not let the parish remove the kneelers without a fight.

Talk to father and then if that doesn’t work, talk to the Bishop before those kneelers are removed.
 
ratio1 said:
I suppose their reasoning do make sense though. Kneelers can be dangerous.
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I think there’s a study by the Mayo Clinic detailing how hospitals had trouble coping with the many people injured by kneelers from 2000-2015.
 
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When I attend mass at places without kneelers such as at the school gym etc. we stand. It is not expected that we kneel.

I have never been to a church building without kneelers though.
 
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I remember last year at the Easter Vigil all of us being confirmed had to kneel on the hard ceramic tile floor. It was quite a long time (there were around 40 people being confirmed). The guy kneeling next to me complained that it was starting to hurt his back. Monsignor told him “consider it part of your penance.” I still don’t know if that was a joke or not.
 
Carpet? In a church? And they expect us to sing? To give Gregorian chant, which requires good acoustics, pride of place?

And what about winter and slush-covered boots?
 
The Newman Center removed kneelers after a renovation, and asked that people stand instead. I was personally never comfortable with this, but I only went there if I couldn’t make it to Mass at other times (they had a 9pm Sunday Mass, thank you slacker college students!). A new priest was recently assigned to the church, and the kneelers are back. Really nice ones, cushioned, quiet. State of the art!
 
Yes, stand. When I injured my knee I stood instead of kneeling for a few weeks to let it heal. Lots of elderly people stand instead of kneeling at our parish. (They tend to sit near the back to be less conspicuous I think.) If all the kneelers were gone totally I would think the best thing would be for all to stand.
 
I read some of these threads and wonder if I have been caught in a time warp and have gone back 20years. Is this still happening? I am thankful for our diocese as we must be rather unique in that much of the insanity seems way in the past. We just built a new church and not having kneelers was never an option proposed by anyone, although many parishioners voiced a fear of us not including kneelers early on in the process. No churches in this area are being built without kneelers and they are not being removed. What needs parish which built their Church in the early 90s still doesn’t have kneelers, but that is all.

And carpet in church? People are still down ng that. That was high on the Do Not Do list provided by the diocese. A church is supposed to represent God’s house here on earth (CCC 1186),. It should give a feeling of permanence. Carpet does not do that.
 
tafan2 said:
It should give a feeling of permanence. Carpet does not do that.
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Could you explain more? What does carpet have to do with feeling of permanence?
Are there any other reasons for not using carpet?

Here in Oz it is quite common to have carpet.
 
More and more parishes? Where?
Every parish here has kneelers. Kneelers AND carpet.
 
American Southwest. My sister in the South says they have kneelers too.
Honestly I have never seen a Catholic church without them except for some places in Europe.
 
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