I wear the veil for many reasons. I started shortly after my conversion from the Episcopal church, where I had been an avid supporter of feminist issues – my favorite t-shirt had been purple and read, “a woman’s place is in the house . . . of bishops.” Whilst in seminary, I began reading the Church Fathers seriously and, for once, began reading feminist literature with a critical eye in light of Scripture and Church tradition. As a result, I embraced Eastern Orthodoxy and renounced much of my feminist mind set, and, as an outward sign of that renunciation, I began to wear a veil. As I’ve continued wearing the veil, I found my relationship with my husband improved vastly and our household began to be ordered according to the calling and dignity of husband and wife. My experience of Holy Communion has grown as I’ve continued to wear the veil – I don’t think it to be accidental that St. Paul’s injunction to women in that regard immediately precedes his instructions on how the Holy Eucharist is to be celebrated in the community. (I Cor 11)
It’s a private devotion, it’s not up to me to judge.
Actually, when I started, it was in Orthodoxy and it was normative. Since coming home to the Catholic Church, the few times I feel self-conscious about it, I remember my old purple t-shirt and the controversy that stirred, and am grateful that I wear the veil now.
The church, to the best of my knowledge, has been silent on the issue – has not come out and said that veils are no longer required, nor has veiling been enforced. What a veil does for me, is to reinforce to me the dignity and unique vocation that I hold as a woman, wife, and mother. It’s not up to me to judge another. So, if one feels, so called toward that outward symbol, great; if not, great! I don’t always wear a veil to daily Mass – but usually do at the more formal Sunday and Holy Day Masses
Since the Church is silent on the issue, I agree it is sad that one would feel shamed by not wearing the veil (or by wearing one, for that matter), but the veil itself is an act of worship, in that it is an obedience to Scripture, it is thanksgiving for our God-given dignity as women, and a sign of humility before our Lord.:twocents:
It’s a matter of personal style; there are dozens of ways to tie a scarf that coordinates with your outfit – you can pick those up at any Wal- or K-mart. Search this forum under veil for web sites of veil and chapel cap providers. My personal favorite is a triangular white silk shawl with cute embroidered flowers around the edge, with fringe that I wear over my shoulders and pull up to cover my hair during the service itself. Several younger women I know, go for the 60’s throwback of a pill box hat with a small veil. Fabric stores sell lace by the yard – you can even design your own mantilla for very litte effort and $$.
Another thread mentioned this - my question is do you tie the scarf around your neck or will it stay on your head just draped over without the use of pins or tying? Sorry to get so detailed…but info would be appreciated!
I wore a mantilla forty years ago and gave it up when the priests told us we didn’t have to anymore. I just don’t feel called to… There is a family in my parish who wear them and the odd thing about this family is that while they may have their heads covered,some of them are immodestly dressed… doesn’t seem to make any sense to me?
Here is where I am confused.
depends on the texture of your hair – mine (fine and straight) needs the help of a black springy barette or at least a bobbie pin, unless I tie it, either under my chin (ugh!) or pull the corners back and tie it at the nape of my neck under my hair or pull a corner back over the opposite shoulder and fix it with a brooch. Experiment and see what works best for you.Another thread mentioned this - my question is do you tie the scarf around your neck or will it stay on your head just draped over without the use of pins or tying? Sorry to get so detailed…but info would be appreciated!
Why judge? – believe me, you don’t want to see in my heart – unless you want to see gunk and junk – but it helps me, is a reminder to me that I need to clean out that gunk and junk and really need to work on it because I’m wearing an outward symbol. Personally, it helps me to live into the God-given dignity of womanhood and reminds me (somewhat painfully) of the feminist lie I was living earlier in my life. That part of me rears its ugly head from time to time, and the veil reminds me to keep it in check.
That’s exactly what I am trying to say. One of the posts above said that just because a woman wears a veil reveals her humility and dignity. I am asking, “How can she make that judgement because of a veil?”
I don’t think that all judgements are bad - I know Jesus said “judge not” but he meant keep from making judgements without knowing facts. How else to know good from bad if judgements can’t be made?
Hope I make sense!! 
Of course you made sense, Jennifer123. I just need to calm my bothered feelings down about this, and take it as a simple devotion some women choose in reverencing God. So be it. I should be glad that there are women like that vs. the opposite kind of woman who may not care at all about devotion and reverence.I don’t think that all judgements are bad - I know Jesus said “judge not” but he meant keep from making judgements without knowing facts. How else to know good from bad if judgements can’t be made?
The veil I think is supposed to “show or signify” reverence for humility and the woman wearing it may have seemed dignified, so the poster made their judgement based on that. But without knowing what’s in this woman’s heart, you can’t really know for sure what her message may have been with the veil-wearing. I think you can judge as to what this woman may be trying to “say” by wearing a veil, but if this woman isn’t interiorly (is that a word??) harboring humility and dignity then it would be her sin, and that’s a cause for our pity. We’re always supposed to expect the best from people in the name of charity rather than jump to bad conclusions about people and their actions, just a reminder than I too need on occasion!!
But I don’t think it’s up for us to judge, one way or another, we should just acknowledge it for what it is - a sign of a devotion. I know I try to do pious acts at Church during Mass for my own growth, but also a little bit to try to bring back reverence for the Mass in other people. You may think that’s “holier than thou” but I don’t judge people for not being reverent, as maybe they weren’t raised to be reverent, they don’t know why to be reverent, I have no idea. But if I can get them thinking about what I’m doing, why I’m doing it, maybe they’ll check it out for themselves and wil be drawn to giving more reverence for the Eucharist, etc. Or maybe they’ll judge me for being pious in a bad way, but that’s their problem, not mine, and God knows my heart so that’s all I’m concerned about.
Hopefully that didn’t sound harsh, I’m just trying to explain, although I admit probably not in the best way, to help you understand what may make people seem outwardly pious.