Proper Church Attire

[Michael57]

I grew up in Southeast Mo. in a small town. Yes, we teenagers wore slacks and jeans around the house at that time, even though girls had to wear a dress or skirt to the public schools, but my mother and most of the women I knew (mothers of my friends) wore dresses even around the house. It was odd to see my mom wearing slacks.

Ditto. South central Illinois late 50’s to late 60’s, Mom and her friends wore dresses, especially to Church, then the pants suit thing started and gradually took over.

 

[Cath4life]

So how would you enforce it?

What if someone came directly from the hospital to be with Jesus? Would you turn them away because they were wearing the wrong clothes?

What if they felt pulled to be at Mass, after years away? Would you turn them away because they were wearing jeans? Or as Becca3 seems to want, because a woman was wearing pants?

Are we really willing to turn people away? Or make them feel as though they are not good enough?

oopss enforce is definitely NOT the right word I should have typed. I apologize :doh2:. I guess the correct word would be either ‘suggested’ or ‘persuaded’ to dress to see The King of Kings…

Of course, No one is to be turned away, as I would have been the first one out the door before I became a re-vert to Catholicism. I think the biggest fashion faux pas is the lack of covering in today’s culture and becoming aware of the lack of clothing.

2521 Purity requires modesty, an integral part of temperance. Modesty protects the intimate center of the person. It means refusing to unveil what should remain hidden. It is ordered to chastity to whose sensitivity it bears witness. It guides how one looks at others and behaves toward them in conformity with the dignity of persons and their solidarity

 

[Catholic_Wife]

I think the two threads could somehow be merged, since they are basically about the exact same thing.

I was hoping this thread could be more about 1) should there be a dress code for Mass similar to what is required in Rome, and 2) how could a dress code be enforced without turning people away from the Church and/ore alienating those without the means to dress more appropriately – NOT necessarily what clothing should and shouldn’t be allowed.

A code does

suggest appropriate or inappropriate behavior or actions. **I still think I am raising a legitimate question – by putting it out there, what is the parish going to do when someone shows up not “obeying” the code? What if the person *still decides ***to walk into Mass dressed in a fashion not approved of in the code? How far is the parish willing to go to ensure the dignity they feel is important?
^^^ THIS is what I wanted to discuss!

I believe that we should have a dress code enforced in our parishes similar to Rome’s. At our parish, we have the usual reminder in the church bulletin, but I don’t see any changes. I would love to hear other ideas on what parishes can do to accomplish a better dress code

. :newidea:
Our former pastor used to make his annual “summer is coming, but you still have to wear modest clothes” homily around the beginning of May. I’ve noticed that since he’s left, the dresses / skirts have gotten shorter and there are more sleeveless tops / dresses. Coincidence???

The article I linked to in the OP had some suggestions about “enforcing” a dress code. Should each parish keep a supply of large shawls to be used to cover shoulders and/or legs? A supply of scrub bottoms for men who need to cover their legs? Have women (and men) at the doors to “counsel” each offender as they come in - especially if they are regularly-attending parishioners - on why their attire is inappropriate? Or is this one of those “losing battles” that priests / pastors don’t want to fight because of the fear of alienating the dwindling number of the faithful?
Is it time to impose a church dress code?

Note that from your quotes of Vatican policy it seems jeans and t-shirts are perfectly fine. You seem to have something against jeans and t-shirts, though.

This is how I go to work, and I most often go to Mass after work - I see jeans (non-ripped/tight/low-rise) and t-shirts (with sleeves) as perfectly fine, and I absolutely hate suits/dress shirts/slacks, so there’s really no other option for me.
You must have me confused with Becca3. On those rare weekends that I don’t have to work Saturday night (and thus come straight from work wearing scrubs), I wear jeans and modest top that is sometimes a “pretty” t-shirt.

Scrubs or uniforms I think would be exempt, or would be part of the code, right? Makes sense to me.

I would think so, if they are modest and cover what should be covered.

And I don’t think anybody has advocated ‘no jeans’ or ‘no pants for women’, right?

Some do, but the “dress codes” I’m asking about don’t.

I’m an RN. I start work at 8:30 every morning and go to 7:30 Mass every weekday, immediately prior to work. So if I wear my scrubs to Mass, shall I be given the boot?

Of course not! Then again, I think most people have a misconception about what the average healthcare worker (not always doctors or nurses) encounters during a typical shift. My husband wears a water-resistant lab coat that goes to his knees during his entire shift at work, so his scrubs never actually come in contact with anything.

I have “rules” about wearing my scrubs. First, I never wear my work shoes into church (or my home, for that matter)! I know what’s on those floors, and I don’t want that junk anywhere near me when I’m off work. They stay in the floorboard behind the driver’s seat of my car. Second, if I actually do patient care during the course of my shift (which I don’t always do), I take into account what was wrong with the patient(s) and if I could be bringing something dangerous into the church. Honestly, I meet with more contagions in the grocery store than I do during a typical shift at work. If I do have contact with something gross, I will either take off my scrub top and wear just my t-shirt, or stop at home to change on the way to Mass. This last option means I will be 10-15 minutes late to Mass, which I don’t want to do on a weekly basis.

 

[andrewstx]

I wear jeans to church, the dressy pants I have are very old and I can’t afford new to wear only once a week. I am disabled and cannot dress myself and change so what I put on in the morning has to do for the entire day.

I wear long sleeved Western shirts to mass, since I have tattoes and don’t want to offend the very conservative. I do not wear my cowboy hats in church…ever.

But my jeans and shirts are nice and clean. I do wear jeans with holes, but not to mass,

 

[ajecphotos]

Most important thing to wear when attending mass, Humility.

Don’t go concerning yourself about what people are wearing. Concentrate on why you are there. Sometimes I wear a t shirt with all my tats showing. I do worry about what people think but that is now changing as I aim to concentrate on God and nothing else!

 

[Gicutzu]

You must have me confused with Becca3. On those rare weekends that I don’t have to work Saturday night (and thus come straight from work wearing scrubs), I wear jeans and modest top that is sometimes a “pretty” t-shirt.

Yes, sorry, I misunderstood what you were saying, and realized my mistake when reading your posts in the other thread. Sorry once again