Our parish slowly reincorporated use of the altar rail over the last couple years following a growing number of us parishioners choosing to kneel to receive (Communion was already being distributed from behind the rail due to Covid era logistics), so it felt like a kind of organic growth out of the particular piety of our parish. And I a…
Our parish slowly reincorporated use of the altar rail over the last couple years following a growing number of us parishioners choosing to kneel to receive (Communion was already being distributed from behind the rail due to Covid era logistics), so it felt like a kind of organic growth out of the particular piety of our parish. And I am so grateful- I find it personally to be a beautiful gift to be able to kneel to receive the Lord. At another local parish I visited, they had a normal standing Communion line, but those who wanted to receive kneeling just scooted over and knelt at the rail and the priest distributed to them at the end. This is what’s great about an altar rail! It’s right there so if someone wants to kneel to receive they can without creating a “disturbance” (which can happen a little bit when someone kneels in the standing line in the aisle). I’m sorry to think that other parishes might not have the same freedom to make use of an altar rail.
I’ve been to several parishes outside of my diocese with rails and it was completely normal seeming for the people who knelt and completely normal seeming for the people who stood. Maybe people harbored feelings about it one way or another, but I couldn’t sense any tension or disturbance. It seemed to work well for everyone.
Our parish slowly reincorporated use of the altar rail over the last couple years following a growing number of us parishioners choosing to kneel to receive (Communion was already being distributed from behind the rail due to Covid era logistics), so it felt like a kind of organic growth out of the particular piety of our parish. And I am so grateful- I find it personally to be a beautiful gift to be able to kneel to receive the Lord. At another local parish I visited, they had a normal standing Communion line, but those who wanted to receive kneeling just scooted over and knelt at the rail and the priest distributed to them at the end. This is what’s great about an altar rail! It’s right there so if someone wants to kneel to receive they can without creating a “disturbance” (which can happen a little bit when someone kneels in the standing line in the aisle). I’m sorry to think that other parishes might not have the same freedom to make use of an altar rail.
I’ve been to several parishes outside of my diocese with rails and it was completely normal seeming for the people who knelt and completely normal seeming for the people who stood. Maybe people harbored feelings about it one way or another, but I couldn’t sense any tension or disturbance. It seemed to work well for everyone.