) and is a sacramental. Other sacramentals are holy water, and the rosary. Up until 1983 it was mandatory that women cover their heads at Mass (see 1 Corinthians), and now it is just optional. Just like not all people say the Rosary, so not all women cover their heads. (hats work too - same idea) It’s a lovely compliment to women, and yet a bunch of idiotic feminists called it suppression. Well they definitely did suppress the beauty of femininity, and through their efforts and others’, head coverings have fallen out of use. It is interesting to note that protocol still dictates that women veil thir heads when in the presence of the Holy Father (an audience). But how much more important is our Eucharistic Lord than His Pope!!
Some people try to argue that chapel veils specifically are far superior(vs hats/scarves), but that’s their opinion, not the Church’s.I’m not sure that I have ever come across that idea before. Is it common in your experience?
It’s a tradition of the Church (lower case t as they say
Are you sure that a head covering is a sacramental? I wore one for many years and have never heard that. A sacramental must be treated with a great amount of respect. My scarf was usually just stuffed in my coat pocket. Chapel veil stuffed in my purse. Both washed with other like laundry.
You may have sacramentals blessed. Never had my head scarf blessed.
What about a head scarf or hat, can they be blessed also? After all, no one in America had “chapel veils” until Jackie Kennedy wore one to meet the Pope.
Its was more of a Latin practice so it was always more prevalent among Italians and Spanish/Portuguese.
That is interesting. Was it a veil like a mantilla, or shorter?
It comes up occasionally on CAF when we talk about this issue
Not common at all though. The argument is that hats can be worn anywhere, but the chapel veil is unique to wearing at Mass and thus is better. I say just be happy with women wearing hats, sheesh! 
Positive
I’ve had Rosaries in my pocket, and wear my blessed medals everywhere (pool, shower, everywhere!). Treating your sacramentals with respect is just not intentionally destroying them with bad intentions, and burning/burying them, not throwing them in the trash.that’s quite funny.One of the benefits of the mantilla is it’s portability. It is quite easy to keep one in the glove compartment of one’s car, or tucked into one’s purse. It’s easier to do that with a mantilla than with a hat!
I have a funny little story to relate about mantillas. We were all gathering outside Church early Sunday morning a few weeks ago, and one of the young mothers suddenly exclaimed that she had forgotten her veil (she has six little ones to keep track of, so she has a lot on her mind!). She said she would go into the ladies’ room and get a paper towel to use. I reached into my purse to pull out an extra veil I keep there, and when I looked up the young mother had been surrounded by five or six women all offering her extra veils. The priest was coming up from the parking lot and saw this take place. He came up to us laughing, and said from his vantage point it looked like we were all surrendering to this woman, because we had suddenly surrounded her and were waving white veils in front of her!
One of the benefits of the mantilla is it’s portability. It is quite easy to keep one in the glove compartment of one’s car, or tucked into one’s purse. It’s easier to do that with a mantilla than with a hat!
I have a funny little story to relate about mantillas. We were all gathering outside Church early Sunday morning a few weeks ago, and one of the young mothers suddenly exclaimed that she had forgotten her veil (she has six little ones to keep track of, so she has a lot on her mind!). She said she would go into the ladies’ room and get a paper towel to use. I reached into my purse to pull out an extra veil I keep there, and when I looked up the young mother had been surrounded by five or six women all offering her extra veils. The priest was coming up from the parking lot and saw this take place. He came up to us laughing, and said from his vantage point it looked like we were all surrendering to this woman, because we had suddenly surrounded her and were waving white veils in front of her!
That’s wonderful! HahahaJust wanted to tell you what a beautiful response.It’s a tradition of the Church (lower case t as they say
The idea is that in the Catholic Church’s tradition and all throughout the OT, things that are veiled are holy… like today we veil the Tabernacle. The reason that women are holy is that God gave us a very special thing, that we are able to be co-creators with Him. We are the very last thing He ever created, and inside of woman God can create a new soul. And because what is sacred is veiled, so women are too
The reason it’s more prevalent in the TLM is the same as why incense is more prevalent, why Gregorian chant, the music of the Church, is more prevalent, why the language is more prevalent. We want to be as Catholic as can be, and we accept ALLLLL the teachings of the Church, even the little things like women veiling their heads.
Btw, anything would do, hats, scarves, anything. Lace is just a bit of a trend in the area of head coverings at Mass now, and many will say that hats were a bigger thing in the 50s and such. It doesn’t matter the difference, when your head is covered, it’s covered
Don’t thank me, I read an article a while back called Women: God’s Last Creation, and I basically copied it out of memory. Let me see if I can find it…Just wanted to tell you what a beautiful response.
Nothing wrong with people-watching, mind you, but it’s not where my focus needs to be during Mass. Having something on the sides of my face helps me direct my attention forward. (As I said, this is more of an answer that’s specific to me; I’ve never heard it cited elsewhere.)