Have You Ever Seen a Catholic Church without Kneelers?

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I have been in 5 churches in my diocese and two have no kneelers. I was in a third and when I lowered the kneeler people around me gave me dirty looks and I rea;lized I was the only one in that church kneeling. I felt so unwelcome there I never went back.
 
Mission San Xavier del Bac in Tucson has no kneelers. I have been to Mass there, and it’s a wonderfully interesting church where the people are soooo friendly! But no, and no room to kneel on the floor either.
 
PatriceA said:
Yes I have, in Florida when my parents had a place in a retirement community. The local Catholic Church took out the kneelers because of the more advanced age of the congregation to discourage them from kneeling. There were a handful of young families in the parish community, but they were the exception.
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It seems to me they should have left some kneelers for those who want them. (Kneelers on the right, none on the left.) I understand that some cannot kneel and we should be thoughtful of them. But are they considerate of those who do want to kneel?
 
Irishgal49 said:
If I was in a Catholic Church without kneelers I would be thrilled. I cannot kneel and get tired of the glares, icy stares, and explaining I can’t kneel. It works both ways. Sounds like I should look at a different branch of Catholicism.
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I have brought non-Catholics to mass with me. In those cases I tell them to stand when everyone stands, but, they do not have to kneel and can remain seated. There are regular members of my parish that do not kneel. I have always assumed that they have a health reason that prohibits them from kneeling. What other reason would there be? Perhaps you are a bit sensitive about it, or maybe some people are curious, or maybe there is are a few of the overly self rightous. Better that you remain seated than be so uncomfortable that you are distracted. At any rate, it’s between you and God. Try not to let it bother you.
 
YoungTradCath said:
Kneelers are required. I have never seen a parish without them, thank God!
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Really? “required” by what? CCC, Canon Law? Never seen it codified, and my parish is Latin Rite, and not a kneeler to be found,

And, somehow, I don’t feel my mortal soul is in danger!

Even if you contend that, “and every knee shall bend” is biblical proof, I doubt there is a mandate from Rome requiring a church to have kneelers…because wouldn’t the real devout kneel on the hard floor?

🤷

Pax
 
Neofight said:
Really? “required” by what? CCC, Canon Law? Never seen it codified, and my parish is Latin Rite, and not a kneeler to be found,

And, somehow, I don’t feel my mortal soul is in danger!

Even if you contend that, “and every knee shall bend” is biblical proof, I doubt there is a mandate from Rome requiring a church to have kneelers…because wouldn’t the real devout kneel on the hard floor?

🤷

Pax
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Wow, I think you really blew your assessment of my post out of proportion.
 
The General Instruction of the Roman Missal (G.I.R.M. 4th edition) Issued 27 March, 1975
Introduction:
Chapter I: Importance and Dignity of the Eucharistic Celebration

Chapter II: Structure, Elements, and Parts of the Mass General Structure of the Mass Different Elements of the Mass Individual Parts of the Mass Introductory Rites Liturgy of the Word Liturgy of the Eucharist Concluding Rite
  1. The uniformity in standing, kneeling, or sitting to be observed by all taking part is a sign of the community and the unity of the assembly; it both expresses and fosters the spiritual attitude of those taking part. [28]
  2. For the sake of uniformity in movement and posture, the people should follow the directions given during the celebration by the deacon, the priest, or another minister. Unless other provision is made, at every Mass the people should stand from the beginning of the entrance song or when the priest enters until the end of the opening prayer or collect; for the singing of the Alleluia before the Gospel; while the Gospel is proclaimed; during the profession of faith and the general intercessions; from the prayer over the gifts to the end of the Mass, except at the places indicated later in this paragraph. They should sit during the readings before the Gospel and during the Responsorial Psalm, for the homily and the presentation of the gifts, and, if this seems helpful, during the period of silence after Communion. They should kneel at the Consecration unless prevented by lack of space, the number of people present, or some other GOOD REASON.
    But it is up to the conference of bishops to adapt the actions and postures described in the Order of the Roman Mass to the customs of the people. [29] But the conference must make sure that such adaptations correspond to the meaning and character of each part of the celebration.
 
Notre Dame de Chartres, France. No kneelers; you kneel on a very uneven floor. Take a jacket or a towel to kneel. I found that out the hard way. And wooden folding chairs! Oh, well, you’re not there for the furniture.

In the Middle Ages, there were no pews or kneelers. Prayers counted double! 🙂
 
IIRC standing was the norm for several centuries in the Catholic Church.

There’s a nearby parish without kneelers. As mentioned earlier, you don’t need kneelers to kneel.
 
Yep, one of the parishes we used to go to had no kneelers or pews; they just had padded chairs instead. When a new priest took over the parish he asked everyone to kneel during the consecration. Since they used to just sit because they had no kneelers, he looked at getting kneelers for the chairs and it was going to cost somewhere around 12 - 15K to have kneelers installed on all the chairs (around 400) and replacing them with pews would have been even more expensive. Because the parish needed new doors, furnace, etc. his short term solution was to buy garden kneeling pads in bulk. We often ran out so many of us just kneeled directly on the floor for 2 years. As far as I know that parish still does not have kneelers, but the congregation still bends their knee even if it’s on the thinly carpeted concrete,
 
YoungTradCath said:
I believe somewhere a question was submitted to the Congregation for Divine Worship about the necessity of kneelers, and they said something like they should be installed, but that even if they are not present, the faithful are to kneel regardless, yes.
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Ah, I would have been happy to kneel in St. Peter’s but didn’t fearing I wouldn’t be able to get back up. I was picturing myself crawling over to a pillar for support. I’m sure there were hundreds of others who felt the same. Would not have been an attractive sight.
 
I went to a parish with no kneelers. I asked the Bishop about it and they were installed within a short time. .

Kneeleres are not required kneeling is unless there is reason not to for example not enough room. Having no kneelers is not one of the reasons not to kneel.
 
I believe one should kneel at the Consecration etc. and for that reason kneelers should be provided. Centuries ago, people would kneel on the floor and probably did not sit as pews etc. were not provided. Today, people not seeing kneelers would not kneel period. We need to keep ourselves humble and comply with “every knee should bend.”
 
YoungTradCath said:
Kneelers are required. I have never seen a parish without them, thank God!
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No they are not. Kneelers (and pews) are unheard of in much of Europe. Neither St. Peter’s Basilica, St. John Lateran or the Sisten Chapel has kneelers.

Kneelers/pews are largely an Anglo influence.
 
I recently moved to a new parish with no kneelers. I assumed we would kneel on the floor but after the consecration the priest said please be seated. Im not to sure if this is ok or not but I think so if the priest okay’s it. Replys welcomed.
 
Julia_Mae said:
catholicexchange.com/if-there-are-no-kneelers-is-it-a-catholic-church/

excerpt:

I was once in a church without kneelers, too, though I wasn’t there for Mass. I was wondering if these are two isolated incidents, or if others have seem this.

But I also think I read here, that kneeling is not actually required in the Liturgy. I was surprised and now can’t find the post.

Does anyone have a link to something in the GIRM or the Canons that shows kneeling is a required,[presuming one can kneel? Or something that states that it isn’t?

We talk a lot about what the celebrant is required to do, but where are the requirements for the faithful?
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Without kneelers? Count your blessings. My sister’s parish church has no pews at all, nothing. I call it the “they-stand-all-the-time” church.
[/quote]
 
I have a bad knee and typically sit very, very far forward when most others kneel. No problem. During Holy Thursday Mass and the Good Friday Service at Our Lady Angels Cathedral in Los Angeles I gave their kneelers a try and they were so push I had no problems at all.

At the Easter Vigil Mass I sat in the front row of one of the transcepts. Kneeling on the limestone was harsh – I wish I would have had a jacket. I have felt the pain ever since. It’ll be gone in a few months. If I ever do that again I’ll simply take a gardener’s pad or I’ll wear a knee pad under my trousers.
 
in the church we have kneelers and kneel.

in the parish ahll where larger masses are held there are no kneelers and we all stand.
 
In our city, the RC kneelers were removed. Gone. I was actually at a Mass where there was a special speaker that came in and lots of visitors were there to hear him. They actually stopped the Mass, right before the consecration, to insist that all stand. Stand, or *they would not continue. * "We do NOT kneel here! I saw many people standing and wiping away tears that day.

When attending, I have personally knelt on the hard floor but found that the pews were strategically positioned closer together so that you had to be somewhat skinny or you could not manage it, the pew was too tight to the pew in front.
 
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