Speaking of altar rails…one priest’s experience

Speaking of altar rails…one priest’s experience January 15, 2013

Fr. Jay Finelli of the Diocese of Providence stumbled on yesterday’s post and recounted on his blog his own experience with adding an altar rail at his parish:

Since installing the altar rail in 2010, a number of people requested to use if at all of our Masses. We began using the altar rail for daily Mass shortly after it was installed. However, a number of people kept requesting using in for all of our Masses…I announced that we would distribute Holy Communion at the altar rail due to the many requests I have received. I reminded the parish that they had the option to receive standing or kneeling, on the tongue or in the hand. Since that day, a majority of the parish received kneeling and a good number of people now receive on the tongue.

I have received a few complaints and even one family choose to leave the parish. Isn’t it funny that people are tolerant of those who would do something that goes against Liturgical law, but not of those who would rightly request their option to receive by the Church’s long held normative practice of receiving kneeling and on the tongue. However, with time, I have seen more who choose to receive both kneeling and on the tongue.

Read it all.  There’s some very good background on the history of communion reception, along with pictures of the renovation.  Before and after, below.


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