Weird Mass Experience—is It Kosher?

[Gabriela]

I went to a Mass at a campus ministry for the first time the other day, and there were some unusual features I was wondering about. Just to "set the stage": It was in a very small chapel in a house on campus, so it was kinda' cramped, with no kneelers, and very "intimate"-feeling. There were about 25 students and the priest. All the students seemed to know each other and the priest. Here are the things I'm wondering about:

 

1) When the priest took his place to give the homily, he started by asking the students what they thought the readings for the day meant. It was very "classroom"-like. After some opinions were expressed and there was some discussion, he went on to explain it in more-or-less the usual homily-fashion. I figured this was understandable, given the campus ministry setting, and so ok. (It was actually a great homily!)

 

2) After the Sanctus, only three of the ~25 students knelt. In our diocese, one kneels at this time. Once the Consecration began, still, only the same 3 students knelt. Everyone else remained standing. I'm pretty sure one is supposed to kneel for this, no? I wondered if there is some kind of dispensation for campus ministries, cramped spaces, or chapels without kneelers. (I knelt, and honestly, the carpet in there was more comfortable than most kneelers I've knelt on!)

 

3) During the Our Father, not only did everyone hold hands (I know about the debate around this already), but they actually all left their seats to form a circle in the room, around the altar and ambo, to hold hands that way. This pretty well creeped me out. Am I just being uptight, or is this verboten?

 

4) The altar was a sort of wooden mesh pattern that you could see straight through in the parts where there are holes. There was nothing in there. Isn't there supposed to be an altar stone or something in there? (I really have no idea on this one.)

 

Thanks very much!

[Theoketos]

Numbers one, two and three are neither kosher nor licit Liturgically. Number four is probably fine. The Code of Canon Law, off the top of my head I think, does stipulate were possible that you have a stone altar, however it does allow for non stone altars which are not connected to the ground.