Scholarly Advice.

[Spem in alium]

[color=#282828][font='Segoe UI', 'Helvetica Neue', Helvetica, Arial, sans-serif]I posted this in Open Mic but just wanted to get some clear advice on a few things:

I've been going to Mass at the chapel at my college for the last five weeks (except for one when I was visiting MissScripture's family and went to Mass with them). It's a fairly nice liturgy, but yesterday I noticed a few fairly odd things.

1) The congregation does not kneel during the Consecration. My first week here, I made to kneel after the "Holy, Holy" and got a few strange/angry looks from people. There are no kneelers, but plenty of room to kneel. I stand with the congregation and bow the whole time, but I feel so uncomfortable. It seems like such a disrespect to Christ. When I went to Mass with MS, it actually felt so great to kneel, and it confirmed for me that it may just be limited to this chapel.

2) The congregation receives the Eucharist before the Priest and the EMHCs. The EMHCs come to the altar when everyone says "Lamb of God", take their vessels and go to their places, after which the priest says "Behold...happy are they called to the Supper of the Lamb". After the congregation has received Communion, the EMHCs receive. Yesterday, the Priest received Communion after everyone else had - and he received it from an EMHC.[/font][/color]

[color=#282828][font='Segoe UI', 'Helvetica Neue', Helvetica, Arial, sans-serif]We seem to have a new Priest every week - they are from the Benedictine monastic community here. As far as I can tell, all the Priests do this (I've always been more focused on prayer than on watching the Priest - I only just really noticed yesterday). I have never seen this kind of thing before and feel that it may be wrongful - and when I posted in Open Mic my concerns were echoed.
I am just wondering, though:

1) Would these things make the Mass invalid?
2) If so, what am I expected or required to do? Should I look for a new place of worship? There is a church nearby that I could walk to, but as far as I can tell the Priest there is also Benedictine and so may have the same practice.
3) If I can't find a place that practices differently, should I just not receive the Eucharist? To be honest, I would rather not receive Christ than receive Him invalidly and disrespectfully for the next three months.

It's upsetting to think that there is probably a serious problem here and that people come to Mass thinking that things are perfectly ordinary.

Any help would be appreciated. Blessings.[/font][/color]

[cappie]

The Mass would be illicit, or not celebrated in accord with the requirements of the law.
However, a Mass celebrated in this manner would still have a valid consecration of the Eucharist.