Dress Code for Mass

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Wear what you can, just try to be neat & clean. I don’t know what type of work you do but taking a minute to tidy up a bit wouldn’t be a bad thing.
 
My wife breastfeeds at Mass and it is very fair to say that I see more of young ladies bodies and underwear than I do my wife when she breastfeeds. It is indeed a sad commentary.

Ladies and Gentlemen! No one needs to see your rear cleavage when you stand up and sit down in pews! I don’t need to see underwear nor should I ever know what color your bras are and if they match. Nor should I know the shape of your private areas because of your pants.
 
I work in an office, but we usually wear a sports shirt and jeans. I just don’t like the idea of wearing jeans to church. Seems a little dress down for church.
 
I’m like that also. I dislike wearing jeans for Mass and would never put them on at home while dressing to go to Mass but it happens at times.

Our priests have set strict guidelines for those who serve at Mass. No jeans, no shorts, no sleeveless, no flip flop type sandals, no cleavage showing, pretty much adhering to modesty standards. I work in our parish office and was scheduled to serve on a HDO. I had been in the office all day, but at the Mass the priest said I could not serve since my dress was sleeveless, not in a spaghetti strap way, just a simple dress with no sleeves. It was summer and I never gave it a thought. Next summer I will keep a light sweater in my office in case that occasion comes around again.
 
Jeans?
Maybe it’s because we’re country folk but that is just about what everyone where’s…men and women…
 
CilladeRoma said:
You may have never seen it, but my grandparents, great grandparents, and many of my aunts & uncle’s talked about this kind of stuff happening all the time in the 40’s & 50’s.
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So, we can all think of somebody, sometime, somewhere who did something disrespectful toward the Catholic church. This has been going on since Jesus founded the Church but I am sure you would agree that we do not want to portray Catholics of the past playing cards during Mass or sitting around outside of the Church smoking cigars and cigarettes just waiting for someone to call them in when communion was ready. For one thing not everyone took communion every Sunday in the past.

Also, it really isnt fair to all the great Catholics of the past who built Christendom, the parishes and the cathedrals and handed down the faith to following generations.

Today if a non Catholic came to the Mass and saw someone reading a bulletin or their phone during Mass they could go back and tell their friends what they saw and then a nice little rumor could start that Catholics don’t pay attention during Mass but read the bulletin or the phone instead. I am sure you would agree that wouldn’t be fair to all the Catholics in the pews following and praying along with the Mass. The same could be applied to pre Vatican II Catholics. Someone saw something happen here or there and the next thing you know that is what all the Catholics were like at that time.

I have stories of my Irish Catholic ancestors building the Church and facing persecution for it, not playing cards in the Church during Mass.

Saint Paul said in 1 Corinthians we need to be careful thinking we are standing lest we fall outselves.
CilladeRoma said:
Every single one of them, either immigrants or first generation Americans, said the best thing to ever happen for their spirituality was to be able to actually hear and understand the Mass.
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Again, there are always two sides to every story and I have heard some liked it and some who didn’t like it. The Catholic church was still the Catholic church pre Vatican II and was guided and led by the Holy Spirit then also.

God bless. 🙂
 
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Actually where the “country” folk live it is more likely they will dress to the nines to go to Mass. They take pride in it. Right?
 
LOL, I was going to say the exact same thing.
IdaCatholic said:
Actually where the “country” folk live it is more likely they will dress to the nines to go to Mass. They take pride in it. Right?
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Disagree. Coming off the farm, dressing up for my in-laws (at least the guys)…it was always jeans.
 
Bunch of old Germans around here…don’t take much pride in dressing’ up…

We go to mass not to be seen but to worship…even if that means ya have to stop working, go to mass and then get home and back at it…

pitter patter let’s get at 'er
 
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Not only the vernacular, but being able to hear it was the big thing.

My family was from Italy, so Latin was pretty easy for them to follow, but everything was done in a low tone, so no one could hear it.
And at the low Mass, it was usually sped through in about 20 minutes, so they couldn’t even keep up with their missals.

There is no one in my family who did not welcome the changes of VII and not one of them has any desire to go back.

Anecdotal, yes, but I would bet the farm that it is the same feeling of a lot of people who remember the time.
 
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jesusmademe said:
It sounds like they gave too much of an importance to the vernacular.
Why would vernacular vs Latin really have to be an issue at all?
The problem I see is this: people who don’t take their faith seriously.
People give to much importance to a language.
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This, yes ^^

Many Catholics do not realize that the priest is speaking to God for us during the Mass. Of course, we join in with those prayers but I heard a priest explain once in a Bible study that this was part of the issue with language. People thinking the priest is speaking to them during the consecration rather than understanding the priest is offering up a sacrifice for us.
jesusmademe said:
Some people seem to think that in order to have a Latin Mass at church we need to give people Latin lessons. I do think that it is easier for me to enjoy Latin as I have a basic understanding of it.
Your thoughts?
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I do not think people need Latin lessons either. I know people who taught themselves Latin for the N.O. Mass, just taking it one phrase at a time.
 
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Well I’ve lived in farming and ranching towns. Mass was a big deal. And in the midwest still today its the only place I see bow ties! 1 suit for church is in almost every country song!
 
Not around here…The priest has made some mention of how some people come dressed.

I was a little surprised, I know for a lot of these guys coming in off the farm clean jeans and a tucked in shirt is dressing up…🤷‍♂️
 
And I never said any different.
I am just saying that it was not always the perfect thing that the rose colored glasses of nostalgia seem to think it was.
 
CilladeRoma said:
I am just saying that it was not always the perfect thing that the rose colored glasses of nostalgia seem to think it was.
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I would agree that there are sinners and saints and good times and bad times in every generation.
 
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I tend to wear dark colors all the time, but I don’t consider it apropros. It’s just what I wear.
If I was to suggest what people should wear, it is “no perfume” Many people are allergic to scents.

We have several wonderful people from Africa who have immigrated over the past ten years, who wear beautifully made clothes that are quite brightly colored. Sometimes the entire family matches each other in one way or another. They are dressed much nicer than others who look like they are attending a barbecue.
I don’t find them a distraction.

A priest at our parish once said, if you have distractions, close your eyes through Mass.
 
Marla1 said:
I tend to wear dark colors all the time, but I don’t consider it apropros. It’s just what I wear.
If I was to suggest what people should wear, it is “no perfume” Many people are allergic to scents.

We have several wonderful people from Africa who have immigrated over the past ten years, who wear beautifully made clothes that are quite brightly colored. Sometimes the entire family matches each other in one way or another. They are dressed much nicer than others who look like they are attending a barbecue.
I don’t find them a distraction.

A priest at our parish once said, if you have distractions, close your eyes through Mass.
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Great point…to add some people going through chemo or with other illness are very sensitive to heavy perfumes, body sprays (axe is the worse) and other strong cologne smells. It can make them sick.
Even during mass where the censer with incense is brought out some folks, especially the elderly and those with breathing problems can be negatively affected.
 
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So very true, smells can cause huge problems.
And you are right, Axe is the worst!! I have 2 nephews, one thankfully has outgrown it, the other is just beginning to stink. 🤢
As a side note, I have found the better quality, pure resin incense, and a good quality charcoal to burn it on is the only way to go. Clouds of the good stuff truly are heavenly.
 
BlueMaxx said:
Even during mass where the censer with incense is brought out some folks, especially the elderly and those with breathing problems can be negatively affected.
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I have my adoration hour immediately after Benediction at my parish. Every week, the routine is the same…

Walk to church, sinuses clear.

Enter church, nose runs like a river.

Walk home, sinuses clear.
 
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