No Kneelers, No Kneeling,

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spiritblows

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What is happening to our Holy Church? I went to a church last weekend with no kneeling at all! I can’t believe it! I had to kneel on the floor and I was the only one! My heart is broken! Is kneeling going out of fashion??? There weren’t any kneelers in the whole church that I could see!
 
I ran into the same thing is an Ohio church… ironically named Blessed Sacrament.

Table in the middle, no statues, no crucifix, no candles, about a dozen people helping the priest at consecration, etc… and of course, no kneelers.

At communion, the EMHCs were lined in a ring-around-the-altar. I happened to receive from the priest… and my genuflection caused an angry look on his face.

I think everyone, who stood for so much of the whole Mass, was anxious to get home and sit in front of a football game. Sad
 
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MrS:
I ran into the same thing is an Ohio church… ironically named Blessed Sacrament.

Table in the middle, no statues, no crucifix, no candles, about a dozen people helping the priest at consecration, etc… and of course, no kneelers.

At communion, the EMHCs were lined in a ring-around-the-altar. I happened to receive from the priest… and my genuflection caused an angry look on his face.

I think everyone, who stood for so much of the whole Mass, was anxious to get home and sit in front of a football game. Sad
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It’s scary in Ohio. Where I’m from in the Cleveland area, we used to have a great church with one traditional mass and one modern.
The Pastor died (God Rest his soul) an now it’s that same way.
 
So, this is a new trend? Why do people take out the kneelers? Is it because so many people have bad knees? If that’s the case, then what about people who can’t stand? Maybe they should have everyone sit the whole service in order to not have them feel left out. Do they do this to make people feel more included? Or is it to make Protestants feel comfortable?
 
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spiritblows:
So, this is a new trend? Why do people take out the kneelers? Is it because so many people have bad knees? If that’s the case, then what about people who can’t stand? Maybe they should have everyone sit the whole service in order to not have them feel left out. Do they do this to make people feel more included? Or is it to make Protestants feel comfortable?
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Here in Detroit, Cardinal Maida has mandated that any church without kneelers install them if they do a renovation of the Nave.

All new construction will have kneelers.
 
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spiritblows:
So, this is a new trend? Why do people take out the kneelers? Is it because so many people have bad knees? If that’s the case, then what about people who can’t stand? Maybe they should have everyone sit the whole service in order to not have them feel left out. Do they do this to make people feel more included? Or is it to make Protestants feel comfortable?
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you have hit the nail on the head… it follows in the same path as 10 major changes in the liturgy after VatII… Protestant influence, weak Bishop acceptance.

Pray for B16… he will change this, starting this month at the Synod ! ! ! ! ! !
 
My heart goes out to you all who are faced with the breakdown of traditional expressions of the faith and often with little to take its place.

I don’t know when the Latin Churches began kneeling during Eucharist. It was probably a trend that began prior to Trent and was codified there. However, standing is the older and preferred mode in Eastern Churches and was in the West for a majority of its history,. Extraordinary Eucharistic ministers are 98% of the time an unnecessary innovation and an abomination. Thankfully, it has not come to the East.

Dan L
 
I do not understand the motivation for building a church without kneelers. Perhaps it is to save money so they can install a heating system for the olympic-size baptismal pool, or to make a bigger “Parish Life Center”. :rolleyes: They typically do not spend it on proper sacred vessels…

A (very wealthy) parish I once attended in the Archdiocese of Detroit had no kneelers, despite having recently “renovated”. Another nearby (and equally wealthy) parish had added additional space and excluded kneelers from the expansion. I questioned the Archdiocese of Detroit about this and asked why nobody was required to kneel anyway. I was told that Cardinal Maida had since began a policy stating that any new renovations would require kneelers to be installed or kept, but that in the meantime the lack of kneelers fit into the category of “for some other good reason (to not kneel)” that is stated in the GIRM. I respectfully disagree with him on this point.😦

I now see that Brendan already beat me to the punch!
 
I’ve visited a lot of churches and this is the first I’ve encountered it, so it’s not widespread. I hadn’t heard of it before though. I must be sheltered. I have been to lots of churches that remain standing when we usually kneel before going to communion, but most of them kneel after communion although some remain standing. But, I’ve never been to one where people don’t kneel during the consecration. But, as Gregory says, I guess kneeling isn’t what the original Church did, something I also didn’t know.

Well, I like to kneel, plus we live in such a proud society that I think we all need more humility.
 
MSProule,

How long ago were those renovations you mentioned. At our former parish, they did a parish expansion and put in pews and kneelers, and the pastor mentioned that this was per the Cardinal.

That was 5 years ago, so the policy has been in effect at least that long.
 
This may be a last ditch effort on the part of the folks who have desired the knowingly, or not, undoing of our Roman Catholic Faith. The “no kneeling allowed” that has been directed to the faithful in the last several months (a renewed effort) is meant to “cow” those who are timid or lukewarm, worried about how they will appear. This has surfaced like the nastiness associated with boils on the butt. The Holy Eucharist must never be treated with casualness but with the “I believe” and all reverence we can muster. When we received the Sacrament of Confirmation we were receiving the Holy Spirit and made Soldiers of Christ - these are the times in our lives when we are being called upon to defend Our Faith. Answer the question put to St. Peter, “Who Do You Say I Am?”

Every knee shall bow!
 
Catholics must learn to stand up for he Faith ! You Can’t always look to the priest for Orthodox Catholic behaviour. If there are no Kneelers Kneel anyway! AT THE SOUND OF HIS NAME EVERY HEAD SHALL BOW AND EVERY KNEE SHALL BEND IN HEAVEN AND ON EARTH ! You have a RIGHT to defend the Faith even against the Priests.Just make sure your right, first.
 
While it is true that the GIRM does state that standing or kneeling during the Liturgy of the Eucharist is acceptable, it’s interesting to note that Cardinal Ratzinger in his book, “The Spirit of the Liturgy,” makes some very strong arguments FOR kneeling during portions of the Liturgy.

I’ve just read this book, and it gives me hope that there may be some further revisions to how we perform the Liturgy.

Interestingly, in the same book, Cardinal Ratzinger makes a very strong case for the priest and community to face East during of the Liturgy of the Eucharist (or at least facing the Crucifix). Another change I would love to see happen…

Blessings,
JP Augustine
 
P.S. I visited a church in the Detroit suburbs this weekend that didn’t have kneelers, and I found it annoying as well. After communion, I had no choice but to kneel on the ground. I’m totally fine with that, but c’mon…let’s get with it! 😦
 
JP Augustine:
P.S. I visited a church in the Detroit suburbs this weekend that didn’t have kneelers, and I found it annoying as well. After communion, I had no choice but to kneel on the ground. I’m totally fine with that, but c’mon…let’s get with it! 😦
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Down at St. Albertus this weekend, the kneelers made a huge BOOM when they were put up or down.
They were very heavy and when I put mine up, it slipped and BOOM.
I think it was a sign from God that we should pay attention!
 
Netmil(name removed by moderator)

I love that sound of the kneelers going down. Since I joined the CC that is one of my favorite sounds - a sound of unity and reverance and humility and worship and love. AMEN (PS I tell my wife that and she thinks I’m nuts)
 
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Brendan:
How long ago were those renovations you mentioned? At our former parish, they did a parish expansion and put in pews and kneelers, and the pastor mentioned that this was per the Cardinal.
That was 5 years ago, so the policy has been in effect at least that long.
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Brendan,
Renovations at both parishes occurred more than 5 years ago. I have since deleted the e-mails from the Archdiocese, but interestingly I recall that the policy was enacted remarkably soon after the latter of the two renovations. Perhaps there were complaints other than mine?
 
JP Augustine:
P.S. I visited a church in the Detroit suburbs this weekend that didn’t have kneelers, and I found it annoying as well. After communion, I had no choice but to kneel on the ground. I’m totally fine with that, but c’mon…let’s get with it! 😦
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Hopefully, our Detroit area parishes will make numerous renovations in the coming years under our Bishop’s new policy!

(Not to get off-topic, but I am waiting for him to also mandate truly noble sacred vessels, as well - no more glass, crystal, or earthenware!)
 
On this forum it seems like some are to good to kneel.

As far is it going out of fashion… I don’t believe so.

There could be some rational reason why there were no kneelers. New pews maybe coming, maybe renovating, maybe it’s a really old church, maybe they are really poor… maybe i’m making excuses. I don’t know.

Kneeling on the floor isn’t so bad, but the option for not kneeling on the floor should be available.
 
pray to Christ, Our Blessed Mother, and to the saints for a conversion
 
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