Six Reasons Why Altar Rails Are Returning

and Firing Up Eucharistic Devotion

by John Horvat II May 5, 2025 tfp.org/six-reasons-why-altar-rails-are-returning-and-firing-up-eucharistic-devotion

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[Ja od zawsze chodze do kościołów z balaskami – i oczywiście Komunia na klęczkach, ale zapewne więkzość moich czytelników chodzi jeszcze do kościołów zdeformawanych przez reformy soborowe, aggiornamento itp. Dla nich głównie umieszczam ten artykuł, oraz pozostawniam zachęty do czytania innych, ważnych artykułów. MD]

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In churches across the country, pastors are installing altar rails. Some parishes are bringing the rails back to old churches after they were torn out decades ago. Other parishes are adding them to new churches that never had them.

The altar rail is coming back by popular demand. It is changing the way people see the Holy Eucharist. Best of all, the move is highly popular and awaking enthusiasm among the faithful.

After the Second Vatican Council, many churches removed their altar rails, claiming it divided “the people of God” from the priest in the sanctuary. The idea was to turn the Mass into “a shared, communal worship experience.” However, it also removed the sense of the sacred that once dominated the church, and Eucharistic devotion waned.

A Catechism in Stone

The ripping out of the altar rails proved what everyone knows about church architecture and design. The church is not a neutral space. Every aspect of the church should be full of meaning and symbolism. The church is a catechism in stone that teaches people to know and love God better.

When the Blessed Sacrament is no longer treated as sacred and kept in a prominent place, people will no longer believe in the Real Presence—a finding that is reflected in surveys.

Transforming Parishes

In an excellent article in the National Catholic Register, writer Joseph Pronechen reports on how all this has changed with the proliferation of altar rails. The return of the rails is transforming parishes and is being enthusiastically received by Catholics of all ages, including young people who never knew them.

Catholics in the pews cite many reasons why they are attracted to these simple dividers. Parish priests are also amazed at how quickly this simple move has rekindled Eucharistic devotion.

There are six reasons why Catholics welcome the return of the altar rail.

A More Reverent Reception of the Eucharist

First, it makes the reception of the Eucharist more reverent. People appreciate the extra time at the rail to reflect upon Whom they are receiving. It creates an atmosphere of reverence where those who receive do not feel rushed. The reception becomes a brief yet intimate moment between Christ and the communicant.

When given a choice, some 90 percent of the faithful will kneel at the rail. Many who kneel at the rail also feel compelled to receive on the tongue.

A Sense of Definition and Awe

Second, the altar rail provides a sense of definition and awe. Marian Father Matthew Tomeny, rector of the National Shrine of Divine Mercy in Stockbridge, Massachusetts, recalled the altar rail is “seen as the extension of the altar called, sometimes, ‘the people’s altar.’ It’s that threshold between heaven and earth, heaven being the sanctuary and earth being the nave where the people are gathered.”

Eternal and Natural Law: The Foundation of Morals and Law

Third, the act of kneeling to receive Our Lord is the greatest physical expression of humility, reverence and adoration. Expressing oneself in such a striking and different way cannot but influence how people understand the Eucharist. The body expresses the awe and wonder of the soul before such a great mystery.

Other Considerations

A fourth reason is that pastors report the rail itself is a point of beauty and symbolism that attracts people to the parish. People sense the increased devotion to Our Lord in the Blessed Sacrament and come to the parish. Especially younger families feel drawn and wish to join parishes where the reception of Communion is more reverent. One pastor reported that the return of altar rails resulted in great spiritual growth and understanding of the meaning of the Real Presence.

Yet another reason is more practical. Some pastors report that the use of the altar rail has made it easier and quicker to distribute Holy Communion, even to the point of obviating the need for extraordinary ministers. Altar servers claim that with the sanctuary area enclosed, there are fewer distractions.

Finally, the rails serve as a place for devotion outside of Communion and Mass. The faithful find it convenient to kneel at the rail and pray before the Blessed Sacrament. The lack of the rail was a point of separation that prevented people from approaching the altar to pray. The new rails invite them to come closer for a more intimate devotion.

A Winning Proposition Rejected

The return of the altar rail should be a national model for increasing Eucharistic devotion. The success stories of parishes that have reintroduced them should inspire others to do the same.

However, not everyone is on board with such changes—even in these “synodal” times when officials are encouraged to listen to parishioners.

The ripping out of the altar rails was a deliberate move by progressive Catholics bent on “wreckovating” churches after the Council. Those who still subscribe to the progressive ideology do not hide their reasons for removing the rails, nor do they regret their decisions. They claim the move creates a more welcoming and inclusive space for everyone, regardless of background or beliefs. Their purpose was to promote a more egalitarian and theologically incorrect notion of God and the Church—and removing the Communion rail was consistent with that goal.

Read About the Prophecies of Our Lady of Good Success About Our Times

The tragic result was the gutting of Eucharistic devotion much more effectively than through an openly atheistic persecution of the Faith.

Faith must have its physical and visual expression. The return of the altar rail is a refreshing and sublime response to a distorted vision of the Church. It reintroduces the traditional teachings of the Church with awe and wonder, delighting the worshiper and resurrecting fervor for Our Lord in the Blessed Sacrament.