Bring the Kneelers Back!



From The Beacon Journal:



Kneeling has its price, and churches in Stark and Portage counties soon may have to pay it.



Bishop Thomas J. Tobin, who leads the six-county Catholic Diocese of Youngstown, has sent a letter to the 116 parishes he supervises making it clear that kneeling is required while parts of the Mass are being celebrated.



That's created a problem in the pews at churches such as Holy Spirit in Uniontown.



When it was built in 1986, the Catholic church had been rumored to be moving away from the practice of kneeling during the Mass. And since standing was recognized by the church as a sacred position, it seemed reasonable to cut costs by building a sanctuary without kneelers.



Now, the parish of more than 500 families is faced with the challenge of installing kneelers to comply with Tobin's directive. It's a challenge that could cost tens of thousands of dollars.