Pews in Eastern Catholic Churches

[SyroMalankara]

Fr. Moses! Give your blessing!

Totally off topic, but do the Monks have any future upcoming events at HRM and/or do they plan to be in the Chicago area in the upcoming months? I missed the last one at Mundelein and am still smarting!

 

[MonkMoses]

Fr. Moses! Give your blessing!

Totally off topic, but do the Monks have any future upcoming events at HRM and/or do they plan to be in the Chicago area in the upcoming months? I missed the last one at Mundelein and am still smarting!

The Lord blesses!

We do not have any events planned for the Chicago area, but we are hosting our annual pilgrimage in honor of Our Lady Searcher for the Lost on August 24th. Please come on up and worship with us. We are about a 2 1/2 to 3 hour drive from Chicago.

Please check out our web site.
hrmonline.org/

 

[5Loaves]

I believe theistgal was speaking about her visits to Holy Resurrection Monastery…a Romanian Greek Catholic Monastery…our church has no pews.

It sounded like theistgal was referring to HRM. I would add that Holy Transfiguration Monastery, AKA Mount Tabor, also does not have pews in their church, unless they have added some in the past year or so, which I doubt.

 

[Celticnovice]

Many Eastern Catholic and Orthodox church buildings in North America have previously served Protestant or Roman Catholic communities, so the pews “came with the frame” so to speak. At my parish we just move into the isles and open spaces to do our prostrations…that said I would not be in favor of removing all the pews, but would support having more open sections.

 

[theistgal]

It sounded like theistgal was referring to HRM. I would add that Holy Transfiguration Monastery, AKA Mount Tabor, also does not have pews in their church, unless they have added some in the past year or so, which I doubt.

No, Symeon was right, I was thinking of St. Andrew of the Folding Chairs.

 

[SVP]

What day is the feast of St Andrew of the Folding Chairs celebrated?

 

[5Loaves]

No, Symeon was right, I was thinking of St. Andrew of the Folding Chairs.

St Andrew’s, Symeon’s parish, isn’t a monastery. Fr Moses and I were responding to your post:

There’s nothing wrong with pews. Every Orthodox church I’ve ever visited has pews. Some have kneelers too. The only Eastern church I’ve ever visited that didn’t have pews was at an Eastern **Catholic **monastery.

 

[andrewstx]

Many Eastern Catholic and Orthodox church buildings in North America have previously served Protestant or Roman Catholic communities, so the pews “came with the frame” so to speak. At my parish we just move into the isles and open spaces to do our prostrations…that said I would not be in favor of removing all the pews, but would support having more open sections.

My favorite place to worship, St Seraphim’s Cathedral in Dallas was purpose built as a church and the old church bought from Protestants is now the parish hall.

The relatively new cathedral has mostly open space with benches around the side for the elderly and infirm and those who can’t stand hours on end.

 

[theistgal]

St Andrew’s, Symeon’s parish, isn’t a monastery. Fr Moses and I were responding to your post:

I’m quite aware of that, being a frequent visitor to Symeon’s parish. Was simply making a little joke. Humor, the final frontier!

 

[rdorseyhsd]

Our Italo Greek Church has chairs but not pews. The younger people stand throughout the liturgy, but at 82, my wife and I cannot stand very long, the chairs are a blessing and a lot more comfortable than pews which simply do not look right. Another advantage of chairs over pews is that they can be rearranged. There are occasions when the space is needed and has to be rearranged. Installing the Pantocrator in the dome and other Icons and designs on the ceiling would have been difficult with pews in the way.

 

[babochka]

Oh, pew.

Come on, I like pews! They’re great for us cantors to rest our Teal Terrors on.

 

[babochka]

I’ve never seen an Orthodox church that has pews. And keep in mind - I live in a state where only the Catholics outnumber the Orthodox.

I’ve been to several local Orthodox churches. Only the OCA and Russian Orthodox churches lack pews. I’d imagine the vast majority of Orthodox in Alaska are Russian. The Serbians have them, all three Greek parishes have them. The Coptic church has them. I’ve never been there, but I’ve been told that the Antiochian church has them. The Coptic church does, as well.

 

[babochka]

Interestingly, when my daughter was younger and somewhat difficult in church, she was generally better behaved in the pewless Russian parish than the Ruthenian parish we also frequented - I think, because she could see and hear better what was going on, and had more freedom to move around.

I think if I had just one child, or even two, I might have had the same experience. Once my husband and I were outnumbered, I don’t know what I’d have done without them. They are good for separating squabbling and/or playing children, and for nursing a baby while cuddling a toddler. I have 5 children. At one point, they were all under 8 years old. Now, my oldest is serving and my youngest is nearly 3, so life is a lot easier. Now, I wish we didn’t have pews, because I need to teach my older kids to stand up straight, without leaning on the front pew all the time.

 

[Aramis]

I’ve been to several local Orthodox churches. Only the OCA and Russian Orthodox churches lack pews. I’d imagine the vast majority of Orthodox in Alaska are Russian. The Serbians have them, all three Greek parishes have them. The Coptic church has them. I’ve never been there, but I’ve been told that the Antiochian church has them. The Coptic church does, as well.

Majority? Yes. Vast Majority? Not in Anchorage. Anchorage has Greek, Antiochian, and one other non Russian, but only 3 Russian parishes.