This weekend the faithful of Charlotte have learned that as of the 1st Sunday of Advent November 30, 2025, Bishop Michael Martin has ordered that altar rails should no longer be used for the distribution of Novus Ordo communion in the Diocese of Charlotte.
Additionally, any parishes using kneelers (or unfixed rails) must remove them. This, we have been told, is to remain consistent with the norms established by the United States Conference of Catholic Bishops.While just announced, the faithful are already being told that obedience requires submission. However, we have also heard (unconfirmed) that some priests may be reviewing this with canon lawyers or even requesting a clarification from Rome. We hope that more seek this route as the USCCB does not forbid the use of altar rails, but rather simply states that the (NOVUS ORDO) norm is to receive standing, while fully permitting the faithful to kneel. It would seem to be a matter of both justice and charity for the Church to provide assistance for those who choose to kneel (accomplished by distributing at a rail).
Indeed, the cultural norm at a significant number of parishes in the diocese is for the faithful to receive kneeling and on the tongue. However, it isn’t just the number of parishes that is interesting, but rather, which parishes and what else is happening there.
This past week the USCCB celebrated its annual National Vocation Awareness Week. As stated on their website:
“National Vocations Awareness Week…is an annual week-long celebration of the Catholic Church in the United States dedicated to promoting vocations to the priesthood, diaconate, and consecrated life…”
One of the most healthy and robust areas inherited by Bishop Martin from his predecessor Bishop Peter Jugis is priestly vocations. Currently Charlotte lists 44 seminarians on their website, an impressive number for a diocese of about half a million Catholics. Additionally, the diocese has ordained 13 men to the priesthood in just the past 2 years, with another 7 11 set to be ordained in 2026.
[Update: I have been informed that 3 other seminarians are being ordained to the transitional diaconate next month and will also be ordained to the priesthood in 2026. Additionally, we have one seminarian being ordained for the FSSP next May].
But there’s something else interesting about the boom in vocations in the Charlotte diocese: 75% of those young men come from parishes where the use of altar rails or communion kneelers has been the norm. Consider that: 3 out of every 4 men in seminary in Charlotte had their vocations fostered in parishes which utilize altar rails.
To be clear, in no way should we assume that correlation is causation; obviously the discernment process and the fostering of vocations is complex: from God’s call, to the prayerful attentiveness to hear and to say yes, to the support at home from family, as well as from the parish community and the pastor.
However, it would also seem irresponsible to ignore that 75% of Charlotte’s current seminarians, and well over half of their recent classes of ordinands, come from such parishes. A recent study even suggested what many of the faithful would say is obvious: how we receive the Eucharist, and how a community supports that reception through traditional practices such as kneeling for communion, plays a sizable part in Eucharistic reverence and belief.
As we consider all of these matters we can only hope that someone will share this information with Bishop Martin.
Photo credit: Congregation of Marian Fathers of the Immaculate Conception of the Most Blessed Virgin
Source: liturgyguy.com
