Posted on 05/13/2013 6:31:03 AM PDT by NYer
One for the Brick by Brick file.
I had a note from a friend in the Diocese of Kansas City-St. Joseph, where the great Bishop Robert Finn presides.
At St. Andrew the Apostle on the north side of KC, Fr. Vince Rogers has installed a new brand new Communion rail!
My friend wrote:
He has installed altar rails in most of not all of the parishes in which he has served over the past 15-20 years.
He noted in his homily this morning, “So, why do I do this everywhere I go? It started when I was a seminarian at the NAC. Mother Teresa came to visit and when time came for communion, she went first and knelt on the marble floor and received. We all looked at each other and went up and knelt to receive our blessed Lord. From that moment forward……”
“The largest denomination in the US is fallen away Catholics. Why? Because we have forgotten what the Eucharist really is. If it’s only bread we are like pigs at a trough. If it is the body, blood, soul and divinity of Jesus Christ, then let’s act accordingly.”
Prior to the rail, he had a double prie-dieu in front of the altar. Maybe 30-40% received kneeling. This morning, the first Sunday Mass with the rail, all but a dozen or so at the 8 a.m. Mass received kneeling. Several still received in the hand but many more received kneeling, reverently and on the tongue – likely for the first time. What happened to their heart, only time will tell.
Fr. Z kudos to Fr. Rogers.
At my local Cathoic church they can’t get altar boys to serve so they have bring in the girls also my Cathoic priest is totally hard*** lib
Same deal here two weeks ago.
We are told there is an obligation to attend Catholic Sunday Mass but that isn't Catholic and may not be a Mass. Very possible it does on occur on Sunday.
Rail bump!
I’m sorry that Protestants removed the kneeing benches in the pews. Most churches I’ve attended do have prayer rooms and some have places where one can kneel at the front. But it’s not the same as everyone kneeling for prayer. It reminds me of a song by Barry McGuire...
“We have million dollar churches but no one on their knees...”
I came across evidence of that a few years ago, in the choir loft of an old church. The hymn books from the late 50s gave hints, in terms of “modern” illustrations and the way things were expressed in the foreward and such, like Vatican II was coming.
You may have a point there
I don’t know what wrong with this Priest he is shumuck
We Orthodox stand to receive, just as we always have, with arms crossed, and maybe kneeling a bit if we have a short priest. But then we are usually standing during the entire Divine Liturgy, except for when we sit during the homily or hit the floor for a prostration.
And communion in the hand? What is that? Have the priests no spoons?
In other words Vatican II was a formalization of leftist error.
Though baptized in the Latin Church, I practice my faith in a Maronite (Eastern) Church. Like you, we stand during the Divine Liturgy and receive communion standing. Recently, a lapsed catholic wandered into our church and I gave him a tour. The first thing he noticed was the absence of kneelers. I explained that kneeling was a sign of reverence in the west whereas standing is the norm in the east. He wasn't buying it. To drive the point home, I asked him if he knelt during the reading of the Gospel. He said "no, we stand". And "why", I asked. "Out of respect". Precisely! The light went on and he also smiled.
Communion in the hand should be eliminated. Personally, I consider it profane. Pope Benedict and now, Pope Francis give communion by intinction. Like the Orthodox, we eastern rite catholics receive communion by intinction. Since the Maronite Church uses unleavened bread, no spoons are necessary. The Melkites and other eastern churches that follow the Byzantine Rite, use leavened bread and spoons.
Thanks for the ping! BTW, did you see the meeting between Pope Francis and Pope Tawadros II? I am about to post a thread and will ping you to it.
‘Bringing everyone to the rail would be fraught with difficulties.’ Wouldn’t this always have been the case? How was it dealt with previously? Does not seem to me that their frailties need to set the rule for the entire congregation?
bumpus ad summum
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