The line for Communion - 2 lines always?

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Roseeurekacross

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Lining up to receive Communion, always 2 lines with people side by side, or can there be one single line ?

Merry Christmas!
 
There may be 1 line, 2, 4, 8, 10, …

The answer will be different in every parish or with every priest, and sometimes will just vary based on any number of other circumstances. There is no “rule” that there even needs to be a line. (Many places in Europe just ‘go’, no lines, per se.)
 
I am constantly bemused by the questions people ask.

Why on earth would it matter how many lines there are? It will alter according to the layout of any particular church, or if outside at a huge Mass such as when the Pope is presiding, how many priests there are to help distribute the host…

One priest one line, many priests, many lines…

But why would there be any sort of “rule”?
 
Roseeurekacross said:
Lining up to receive Communion, always 2 lines with people side by side, or can there be one single line ?

Merry Christmas!
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It can be any number of lines, depends on the layout of the church and the size of the congregation.

During the Christmas vigil mass, we have twenty two lines in our cathedral, considering the number of ehmc and the celebrant and con-celebrants who distribute Communion. The crowd spills off from the main chapel outside the cathedral and into the opposite parish centre where large tv screens are used.

It is not so much about the number of Communion lines but rather so that Communion can be done reasonably fast enough. More so if you have multiple masses a day and time would be the essence for the congregation.

It is alright to ask such question. Probably those things are not taught in the RCIA.

God bless you.
 
How many remember kneeling along the rail in front of thr altar and the priest had to walk back and forth administering communion?
 
When I was growing up I went to a small church and there was always just one double line. At my current church, there is a double line down the center, and two single lines on the side. I think it just depends on the size of the church and it’s architectural layout.
 
It really is a layout-dependent thing. That’s why when I am traveling and visiting a parish where I haven’t been before (since a lot of traveling is actually just up to my parents’, so it’s always the same parish there), I like to sit a little further back than I usually do, so I can observe the “traffic pattern”.
 
Crusaderbear said:
How many remember kneeling along the rail in front of thr altar and the priest had to walk back and forth administering communion?
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I do and I became Catholic in this millennia.

So would that be one line or one row? 😃

When I go to the TLM there are generally two lines going to the altar rail and then they split left and right of the gate. Sometimes it is one priest and other times it is two, so I guess it could be a two lines into one row situation or two lines into two half rows. 😉
 
Roseeurekacross said:
Lining up to receive Communion, always 2 lines with people side by side, or can there be one single line ?

Merry Christmas!
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Merry Christmas, to you too.

It can be a single line and generally is when I go to daily mass. There is nothing in the rubrics that dictate how the lines form.

It really just depends on the layout of the church and how many are distributing. When I went to an ordination mass this past summer there were roughly 20 lines with 10 in the front half of the nave and 10 in the back (or 5 double lines in front and another 5 double lines in back).

I think the “double line” arraignment is just common because most churches I’ve been in have a split pew arraignment. People generally want to stand in line as a group so it is easier to have a double line instead of the left pew going and then the right or people interleaving themselves into a single line. Also since the ministers are now stationary, it is more “efficient”, for lack of a better word, to have a double line arraignment. Generally it results in a kind of circular flow.
 
I remember kneeling, in my early childhood ☺️.

The reason I asked…Mass last night at my tiny rural church. It is quite small, open once a fortnight and usually everyone has their seat. We have a lovely priest celebrate mass. He is still getting English up to speed and probably Aussie customs. (He celebrates an Indian language mass today for a section of the community. All sung!)

I have only been back at the Church 4mths. And was sitting in the second front pew for mass. The front row regs were all on holidays and the church was packed with holiday makers and tourists. It seems I was one of the few who knew when to sit, stand or kneel. There was one very awkward moment after washing of the hands where the congregation stands. I stood, priest waited, the rest remained seated, finally twigged to stand up. And stood up.

Come to Communion line time, first up were our muscians who then went to play carols. The rest of us were filing up in a single file, i was behind a few people. Someone behind me said, its always 2 lines and pushed me gently to form two lines.

I wondered about protocol .

Merry Christmas and God Bless us on our journey home.

The church was so packed people were sitting outside.
One Priest, pews either side, no other ministers to serve communion. Less then 15 short pews all up, about 10 large footsteps from back to front of the Church. We also have the cathedral in our Parish. Thats in the regional town. Huge, complete with very old organ pipes. I think both churches are heritage listed.
 
My parish does five – two at the front and two at the crossing, and one EMHC goes up to the choir loft for the musicians.
 
Crusaderbear said:
How many remember kneeling along the rail in front of thr altar and the priest had to walk back and forth administering communion?
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We do this in the Ordinariate. And of course at the TLM. So if you prefer this approach, you have two opportunities for it. Its nice to be able to kneel if you wish to.
 
In my home parish for Sunday Mass we have six lines with the priest distributing Communion to both of the lines that form between the two sets of pews that face the altar.

For weekday Mass we have two lines and one priest.

At other local parishes for weekday Mass there are usually two lines between the sets of pews that face the altar with either just the priest or the priest and an EMHC.

Perfectly normal question to ask.
 
I have been to a Catholic church where there were four lines. There were two lines in the center aisle. There was a line by each side wall.
 
At two of the Sunday Masses in my parish there are four single lines approaching one priest and three EMHCs and at the third, with the greatest attendance, there are eight single lines approaching one priest and 7 EMHCs. At weekday Masses there are two lines, side by side, approaching one priest.
 
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