Shorts at Mass??

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MissRose73

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I was quite shocked to see some people show up for Saturday evening Mass in shorts. I know it was very hot outside where I live, but I would have thought people would have shown a bit of respect regardless if they were regulars or visitors.
 
I agree. In fact, our parish bulletin today said the same thing . “We all know the summer months have arrived and it’s getting hot. But please remember to dress appropriately for mass”.
 
I hate to see women with skimpy tops too. On pilgrimage in Italy we were expected to cover our shoulders and upper arms whilst in church.
 
I didn’t vote. I have occasionally worn shorts to a weekday Mass in the summer. Never to Sunday Mass or a Holy Day or anything like that!
I don’t mind too much if small children wear shorts to Sunday Mass. By small children I mean well before First Communion age.
I’m sure the rules are a little different in some warmer climates, which is fine if that’s the social norm and it’s modest and respectful. But it’s not really appropriate around here in my opinion.
 
I lived in Singapore and when it was very hot I wore shorts to mass a handful of times. They are not very short which is why I wore them but I don’t like wearing shorts much anyway. I wouldn’t do it in England though, I always wear skirts to mass here.
 
Common sense tells you that when your entering the House of God, shorts (men or women) are not appropriate.
 
I have no issues with kids who have not yet had first communion wearing shorts if they are not short and are wearing a decent shirt with nice sandals (not flip flops).

If you are doing a ministry like lectoring, etc, I would say women can wear a nice pair of capris that are not tight, and go to the knees if they feel more comfortable with a nice modest shirt, and a dressy sandals (not flip flops). Men doing ministry like that - no shorts of any length, it does not look right.

I wore a nice short sleeve shirt and a skirt that was a few inches past my knee, and felt overdressed compared to many who showed up with shorts of various lengths, some had appropriate decent shirts on it too, some others were wearing sleeveless shirts or tees.
 
I guess I am from the old school, while just being Catholic for 22 months. My wife will only wear a dress or skirt and blouse to mass… I will only wear a suit or coat & tie with appropriate trousers. >> I never say anything to those around me in shorts, soccer uniforms… Or young girls in ultra mini skirts and spaghetti strap tops… But, I pray for them.

I often ask myself… “If these same folks who wear shorts to mass were invited to the White House for dinner, would they wear shorts?” How is it that they are invited each Sunday to share in the Body and Blood of the King of Heaven and Earth and will not wear their best.

I have hear arguments that God accepts us just the way we are… True, but He doesn’t want us to stay the way we are, He wants us to change.

I have hear it said that “As long and I attend mass, it doesn’t matter what I wear.” I question that statement… Where is the heart of the person making that claim.

If you are poor and can’t afford a suit or a dress, then find the best you have in your closet and wear it to mass…

It’s like the widow’s mite… That’s all she had and she gave it… If all you have are a pair of shorts, then by all means wear them… But, I have seen folks making over $100,000 a year come to mass dressed like they were attending a beach party.
 
I do not really want to start a debate here, but I do wear shorts to Mass. Not every week; however, it can get extremely hot and humid here and I sweat very badly. On those few days a year when it is hot and humid, I do wear shorts. Now I do not condone short shorts on either men or women, or skimpy outfits on women. I think for people that sweat as badly as i do, or are a bit overweight as I am, it is ok to wear an appropriate pair of shorts to Mass. I am not non-chalently saying that it doesn’t matter what I wear, but I believe I can show our Lord the same amount of respect wearing an appropriate pair of khakhi shorts on a hot and humid day.
 
When people dress casually for mass, I think it may indicate their lack of understanding and belief in the True Presence. Lately I have found myself looking at people at mass who are dressed very casually and questioning their faith in Jesus in the Eucharist. I know it is a sin on my part to “look down” on them or judge them in any way for that. I need to assume that their heart is in the right place and do my best to make sure mine is too.

Bearontherun
 
I’m not voting, because there isn’t a choice that adequately meets my current thinking. Ordinarily, I would say that shorts are completely inappropriate – however, “appropriate dress” varies to some degree from culture to culture.

Where I live (central Florida), it is persistently hot and muggy a good portion of the year. In fact, I once wore a suit to a job interview here while still living out of state, and was told by the interviewer that a coat was not necessary in Florida. Often, “dressy clothes” here include a pressed pair of knee-length shorts and a short-sleeved polo shirt, tropical shirt, or guayabera, so it’s not uncommon to see men dressed accordingly at Mass. Unfortunately, there are also plenty of men wearing bathing suits or other casual shorts with t-shirts and flip-flops, to say nothing of what some young ladies wear.

In general, I think it’s best to wear pants (or skirts/dresses for ladies), but I still have to admit I’m inclined to think that it depends to some extent on one’s region (though one’s choice of shorts must still be inclined toward reverence).

Peace,
Dante
 
I wished that priests would speak up more about appropriate dress as I don’t think its appropriate for most types of shorts, flip flop sandals, and most sleeveless styles of shirts to be worn to Mass even if its 90 something Fahrenheit outside with/without humidity.

I am sure there are ways to dress to beat the heat for Mass, and yet look decent.
 
I wear nice shorts, that are to the knee to Mass frequently. I honestly believe that God isn’t judging me on the way I dress, that he is happy that I am there.

We had VBS Mass Friday and people were in their VBS t-shirts, shorts or capri’s. I think God was estatic that we had some folks in there that had not celebrated Mass for a long, long, time.

I agree that tops should be appropriate, no tanks, spaghetti straps, belly showing.

We have a hard enough time getting young people to Mass anyway, if we make them feel more comfortable, I think they would come more often. There are many that can’t afford to buy nice dresses and suits, so do we say they can’t come and celebrate with us? I choose to think of it that way. I say “Thank God you are here!”

Thanks for praying for me when I wear shorts.😊
 
DanteAlighieri said:
Where I live (central Florida), it is persistently hot and muggy a good portion of the year. In fact, I once wore a suit to a job interview here while still living out of state, and was told by the interviewer that a coat was not necessary in Florida.

Dante
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A bit off subject… I went to school two years at a university in Daytona Beach… My room mate had a job as a waiter in a very up scale restaurant… The waiters were required to wear tuxedos and the waitress a white ruffled blouse with just a below the knee length black skirt.

If the waitresses and waiters were Catholic, I wonder what they wore to mass??
 
I try to wear my best for Sunday, but the summer heat and the humidity makes for long pants very uncomfortable, especially in the old churches. I think you should try to make the effort though!
 
Per Se:

If a person is invited to a dinner, would he or she wear shorts?

It is quite disconsolate when our church is air-conditioned and people still wear shorts.

The pastor has told them over and over not to wear shorts or sleevless shirts.

If these people cannot spend one hour at mass dressed decently, what will they tell God on judgment day?

I even wrote to the bishop about people wearing short-shorts and he responded like it was nothing.

Do you realize that the Church is God’s home and since Christ is present it is like being in heaven?

If the bishop doesn’t care, then why fight it.

Priests do not listen to the bishop and people to not listen to their priest.

–Jim Roberts
 
For Sunday mass, I’d say no shorts, or at least strongly discourage shorts.

For daily mass, I think its okay as long as it is modest. However, ideally we’d dress up for every mass.
 
I’m not Catholic but I would never wear shorts to church. It gets REALLY hot here, a lot of times with 100% humidity. But I can deal with the walk to my car in the morning, the walk into church, the walk out of church, and the walk into my house again. It’s not like the church service is outside. And often, I find a knee length skirt cooler than shorts anyway.

I attended Mass for a few months and never wore shorts there either. However, I don’t really give much thought to people in shorts. I tried to focus my attention on the homily or whatever was going on.
 
If I see a man wearing shorts in Mass, especially an EMHC, I make note of it and move on with my spiritual journey. “O mind, those are shorts in Mass. Now, O mind, return your gaze to God where it belongs.”
 
Jim_Roberts said:
If the bishop doesn’t care, then why fight it.

Priests do not listen to the bishop and people to not listen to their priest.

–Jim Roberts
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Are you an ear, throat and nose specialist? Seriously, maybe the faithful are too busy getting the specks out of others’ eyes that they can’t see the beams in their own?
 
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