communion rail

noun

, Ecclesiastical.

1. the altar rail where communion is received by the congregation.

Word History and Origins

Origin of communion rail¹

First recorded in 1840–50

Example Sentences

Capponi, whose portrait is among those in the exhibition, was not given such prominent placement because of the commotion at the communion rail.

From New York Times

Anna Paston's brass was tucked away between two large tombs, obscured by the communion rail.

From BBC

An ornate Communion rail divides the taproom, known as the Fellowship Hall.

From Seattle Times

Inside the church, the pews, altar, Communion rail and light fixtures from the original edifice have been preserved, but it’s the church’s role in the fight for racial freedom, and the pantheon of leaders who have spoken from its pulpit — from Booker T. Washington to the Rev. Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. — that make this site hallowed ground.

From New York Times

A German cardinal, Walter Kasper, led the camp that wanted “pastoral and spiritual procedures” for admitting divorced and remarried Catholics to the communion rail.

From Wall Street Journal