Is it reasonable to have a dress code for liturgical ministers?

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Duesenberg

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In today’s world, is it reasonable to have a dress code for liturgical ministers – namely servers, readers, cantors and EMsHC?

I don’t think that garb like: shorts (especially when worn under albs), other revealing clothes, t-shirts (particularly with advertisements on them), skintight yoga pants, etc. have any place in the sanctuary. I think the sign value of people attired in such clothing for everyone to witness is very disconcerting.

I hate to use the term “dress code” but in many parishes it seems like that’s what’s really needed. I think once the dress code is established, that things become easier. Potential new liturgical ministers recognize how existing ministers dress and figure that’s simply the way it is.
 
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This is one of those ideas that’s easier in theory than in practice.

My parish tried instituting a dress code that started out by saying “business casual.” Then they had to get more specific about what business casual meant. They tried to tell servers that you can still see that someone is wearing shorts under an alb so the fact that they were covered didn’t excuse them from the dress code.

In the end you had a lot of miffed people. There were the people who thought those serving at Mass should dress better than business casual. There were the people who thought they were dressed appropriately to start with and didn’t understand why the pastor was picking on them. (He wasn’t. The notices went out to everyone.) There were the parents who thought the parish should be happy their kids were serving and shouldn’t make additional demands on them. There were the more scrupulous types who worried that this shirt or that pair of pants weren’t appropriate and were constantly asking opinions about their wardrobe.

I think the pastor was sorry he ever brought it up.
 
SuscipeMeDomine said:
There were the people who thought those serving at Mass should dress better than business casual. There were the people who thought they were dressed appropriately to start with and didn’t understand why the pastor was picking on them. (He wasn’t. The notices went out to everyone.) There were the parents who thought the parish should be happy their kids were serving and shouldn’t make additional demands on them. There were the more scrupulous types who worried that this shirt or that pair of pants weren’t appropriate and were constantly asking opinions about their wardrobe.
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So what finally happened? Do people comply or not? How about new people coming into the ministry – is it automatic for them without problems?
 
I think a “dress code” is a good idea, I just am glad I do t have to enforce it.

I am a litugical minister(reader, EMHC), I usually wear slacks and a nice top or sweater. I do have a nice pantsuit that I wear on more formal occasions.

At the parish I am in now, that seems to be the standard “uniform”. In my previous parish we had a big problem with inappropriate dress. The Pastor attempted to get people to comply, and ultimately gave up.
Our new Bishop put out some new norms for liturgical ministers, so the Pastor took that opportunity to make a new written dress code. If you wanted to be in ministry, you had to sign off that you would comply. The first time you didn’t you were taken off the schedule. The people who didn’t want to comply in the first place didn’t like the new rules (there were others besides dress) so they just didn’t bother anymore.
It solved the problem, and put most of grief on the Bishop not the Pastor.
 
I think the potential for creating resentment exists. We had a code implemented. No sandals. Most people complied, but it seemed so arbitrary. Ladies could wear little strappy thingies, but nobody could wear a solid, sensible sandal. I know it zinged me, clearly, since I remember the no sandal rule with some irritation.
 
Duesenberg said:
So what finally happened? Do people comply or not? How about new people coming into the ministry – is it automatic for them without problems?
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The people who dressed appropriately to start with continued to dress appropriately. That was about 99% of everyone. The one person who didn’t dress appropriately still didn’t dress appropriately. The whole thing got started because the pastor didn’t want to deal with the individual.

[Insert rant: Isn’t this always what happens? You have one person who does something wrong and the boss/supervisor/pastor/whoever is in charge doesn’t want to talk with the individual but instead sends out a company-wide policy or department-wide policy or parish-wide policy and hopes the individual will suddenly wake up and change. It never happens!]

Anyway, the pastor has since moved on to another assignment and everyone continues to do what they’ve always done.
 
I think it would be reasonable. St. Padre Pio was known for having a dress code for all those who entered his church. Some didn’t like it, but those were his rules, and he refused them entrance if dressed inappropriately. When we are entering the House of God, we should dress like we are coming to see Jesus (because we are).
 
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Proverbs said:
I think a “dress code” is a good idea, I just am glad I do t have to enforce it.

I am a litugical minister(reader, EMHC), I usually wear slacks and a nice top or sweater. I do have a nice pantsuit that I wear on more formal occasions.

At the parish I am in now, that seems to be the standard “uniform”. In my previous parish we had a big problem with inappropriate dress. The Pastor attempted to get people to comply, and ultimately gave up.

Our new Bishop put out some new norms for liturgical ministers, so the Pastor took that opportunity to make a new written dress code. If you wanted to be in ministry, you had to sign off that you would comply. The first time you didn’t you were taken off the schedule. The people who didn’t want to comply in the first place didn’t like the new rules (there were others besides dress) so they just didn’t bother anymore.

It solved the problem, and put most of grief on the Bishop not the Pastor.
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It’s nice to hear your bishop stepped-up. The good thing is that in time, the dress code will become institutionalized and people will realize from the very beginning that following it is part of being in that ministry.

The difficult part is actually defining a dress code in this day and age. In the past, “no bluejeans” meant khakis, corduroys or dress slacks with an appropriate shirt and casual dress shoes. Say that today and some would show up in skateboard shorts.
 
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We haven’t outlived the sex abuse crisis and about a month ago a US Vatican diplomat was called to Rome to be investigated for child porn. Going on about what women/girls wear – just makes the Church look like it’s full of oogling predators.
 
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“Full of predators”? I am a reader at informal weekday masses with low attendance. Father asked that if I wore shorts, that they be knee-length or longer. He simply didn’t want distractions. I complied without question. I am here reminded of the well-known saying about being criticized no matter what you do.
 
Some would say – your knee length shorts would be inappropriate for Mass.
 
Walking_Home said:
We haven’t outlived the sex abuse crisis and about a month ago a US Vatican diplomat was called to Rome to be investigated for child porn. Going on about what women/girls wear – just makes the Church look like it’s full of oogling predators.
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WOW! Absolutely not! In fact if “modest clothing” were called for (as it should be as part of the dress code), the exact opposite is true!
 
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Jerusha said:
“Full of predators”? I am a reader at informal weekday masses with low attendance. Father asked that if I wore shorts, that they be knee-length or longer. He simply didn’t want distractions. I complied without question. I am here reminded of the well-known saying about being criticized no matter what you do.
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Yeap, that’s very important.
 
When we attend Mass – and really Pray the Mass – out attention/concentration will be on the Prayer/on the Holy Sacrifice-- where we are communing with God – everything else (distractions) will fade away.
 
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Walking_Home said:
When we attend Mass – and really Pray the Mass – out attention/concentration will be on the Prayer/on the Holy Sacrifice-- where we are communing with God – everything else (distractions) will fade away.
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Ideally that will be the case, but it’s not always the case, not by a long shot and it’s not the fault of the pew-sitter. Requiring long pants is not asking too much.
 
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That is what we are there for – to Pray the Mass – so yes each and everyone of us is responsible for the effort we put into it.
 
Jerusha said:
“Full of predators”? I am a reader at informal weekday masses with low attendance. Father asked that if I wore shorts, that they be knee-length or longer. He simply didn’t want distractions. I complied without question. I am here reminded of the well-known saying about being criticized no matter what you do.
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Well – it didn’t take long – you see.
Duesenberg said:
Requiring long pants is not asking too much.
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Walking_Home said:
That is what we are there for – to Pray the Mass – so yes each and everyone of us is responsible for the effort we put into it.
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I didn’t suggest otherwise. But if a member of the faithful is distracted because a reader is dressed provocatively, it’s on the person dressed inappropriately and not the person who was distracted.
 
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