No Kneelers in Cry Room

[dizzy_dave]

In our crying room at church there are no kneelers only chairs. So during the parts of the Mass when you are supposed to kneel should we sit or kneel on the floor? Everyone sits during these parts, last week a couple knelt on the floor. What would be appropriate in this situation? Thank you

 

[Scout]

First, I’d be grateful you have a crying room. Our parish doesn’t have one at all. If a baby cries, you have to take him to the basement and you miss the Mass.

Second, if there are no kneelers then just you can just sit. However, if you feel called to do so, I would imagine kneeling is fine. Remember, most parishes in other countries don’t have kneelers. They just kneel on the floor. I think the kneelers are predominantly an American thing, but I could be wrong.

Scout :tiphat:

 

[space_ghost]

i would probably hope for headphones first, a soft seat second, a club…err…toy for the child, and then kneelers… peace

 

[yallguys]

I would say kneel on the floor. As someone with bad knees I used to worry about this too. However where I go to church now about 50 percent of the people stand the entire time because there aren’t enough seats, and when it is time to kneel everyone kneels on the hard hard floor. No carpet or anything. Most of the very old people also kneel, though a few stand, I never see anyone sitting. Think about the sorrowful mysteries and kneeling on the floor doesn’t seem so bad, and it really isn’t for that long. However I am thinking there is no law against simply standing if necessary, maybe someone knows better. But I say get on your knees in the cry room.

 

[Seatuck]

Kneel if physically possible. A parent could anticipate they may be spending some time in the cry room and bring a kneeling pad if they need it. But by all means unless the floor is completely disgusting ,kneel.

 

[yallguys]

Scout:

Remember, most parishes in other countries don’t have kneelers. They just kneel on the floor. I think the kneelers are predominantly an American thing, but I could be wrong.

Scout :tiphat:

I can’t speak about South America, Africa, or Asia but in Europe I think all churches I have been to have kneelers. However they are always quite hard and no better than the floor I think. Most people don’t have seats and just stand on the side or on the aisle, but not kneeling at all would be quite strange here except for a very very handicapped person. There is nothing like sharp pains in the knees to help celebrate the sacrifice of the Mass!

 

[Michael_C]

I’ve never heard of a cry room. I am just shooting from the hip here, but is it even right to have one? I remember once at Mass a gentleman went to leave because his child was crying and the priest stopped him in the middle of te homily. He said so many children are killed in the womb that when a child cries we should think of it as music to our ears. I’ve always thought of crying children at Mass different after that.

 

[puzzleannie]

your cry room was probably added as an afterthought by moving a few chairs in. they probably figured it’s hard to get up and down with a babe in arms. anyhow, who wants to kneel on a floor covered in cheerios? reminds me of the punishment my dad used to tell about from his parochial school, where the boys in knickers were required to kneel on dried peas. that is so off the topic, sorry. Even in the 50s before not kneeling even became a possibility, nobody expected a pregnant lady or one holding a baby to kneel, let alone an elderly or handicapped person.