Summer attire at Mass

[irishpatrick]

This is what the Vatican has to say about appropriate apparel in their Churches:View attachment 14107

It differs a little from what you think everyone should wear…I’m not trying to be rude or argumentative, but I think I’ll go with what the Vatican says when making generalized suggestions for those attending Mass. BTW, in case you weren’t aware, a mantilla and dress/skirt are optional for women,…as shown in picture above.

Take note, the Vatican sign depicts the minimum. It makes no statement about what would be the best–only what the minimum requirements are.

 

[LightBound]

Take note, the Vatican sign depicts the minimum. It makes no statement about what would be the best–only what the minimum requirements are.

Oh, I am very much aware of that. If someone chooses to or is able to dress in a more formal manner than what is depicted, by all means, they are welcome to. But it’s not our place to determine for others if women should wear a long skirt or dress or mantilla/hat/veil/doily/tissue on their head or if men must wear long-sleeved, full-botton shirts, slacks, black shoes, or a tie. To do so makes it sound like a uniform and if that’s the case, perhaps the Church should start making everyone wear long robes like what was worn in the times of the Apostles

 

[irishpatrick]

Oh, I am very much aware of that. If someone chooses to or is able to dress in a more formal manner than what is depicted, by all means, they are welcome to. But it’s not our place to determine for others if women should wear a long skirt or dress or mantilla/hat/veil/doily/tissue on their head or if men must wear long-sleeved, full-botton shirts, slacks, black shoes, or a tie. To do so makes it sound like a uniform and if that’s the case, perhaps the Church should start making everyone wear long robes like what was worn in the times of the Apostles

I agree…I was just raising the point the Vatican posted simple and easy to follow minimums.

 

[MissRose73]

I watch the Daily Mass that is posted on Youtube that is from a Canadian site. The servers and cantor wear robes over their clothes, and when they show the congregation, they appear to be decently and modestly dressed even if the clothes are not fancy.

Also, when I watch the Daily Mass on EWTN, everyone is dressed modestly and decently even if the clothing may not be overly dressy at times. Some of the women wear mantillas too even if they are wearing trousers/pants.

Both televised Masses, I’ve never seen anyone dressed immodestly even if they were wearing a plain tee shirt and a decent pair of blue jeans. For all I know, they may work for the places putting on the Masses behind the scenes, and that is part of their work wear for their job.

Perhaps, we should take examples from watching those televised Masses and go from there. No one asks for the days where my mother said she and her sister and mother always wore a dress, dress shoes, and a hat to Mass, and her father wore his Sunday suit as the rest of the week, he wore clothing typical for an auto factory worker that he was.

 

[ImmaculataFides]

Well, there is a dress-code for Holy Mass. It should be respected. The fact that people need to actually tell others how to dress simply demonstrates that we as a society have lost the idea of code of dress for specific places. People need to speak up and encourage a return to respectful clothing.

I.F.

 

[LightBound]

Well, there is a dress-code for Holy Mass. It should be respected. The fact that people need to actually tell others how to dress simply demonstrates that we as a society have lost the idea of code of dress for specific places. People need to speak up and encourage a return to respectful clothing.

I.F.

Could you please share this official dress code that is from the Vatican? It’s one thing if your personal parish or chapel has a dress code based on their customs, that’s fine, but I haven’t heard of one coming from our current or most recent past Holy Father stating what must be worn…other than the picture I posted, which shows the minimum acceptable apparel to be worn at Church. As a long-time lurker on this forum, I’ve already read posts that the usual suspects have posted from Pontiffs a century ago, what a certain Saint supposedly told a women in the confessional about wearing women’s trousers, and what Our Lady supposedly mentioned at Fatima. I’d really like to see something from the pen of John Paul ll, or our current Pope Benedict if there really is an “official dress code” at Mass.

I agree that one should not be dressed as a “Hooter’s Waitress” or a “Gangsta-rap wannabe” at Mass (or any other time in public), but if women are in shirts with at least cap sleeves and no cleavage visible and loosely fitting capri pants and men are in polo/golf shirts with appropriately-fitting pants at Mass in the summer (as long as that is the cultural norm in their parish), I realize that this wouldn’t fly at an SSPX chapel, but we are talking about the Roman Catholic Church as a whole.

 

[LightBound]

I watch the Daily Mass that is posted on Youtube that is from a Canadian site. The servers and cantor wear robes over their clothes, and when they show the congregation, they appear to be decently and modestly dressed even if the clothes are not fancy.

Also, when I watch the Daily Mass on EWTN, everyone is dressed modestly and decently even if the clothing may not be overly dressy at times. Some of the women wear mantillas too even if they are wearing trousers/pants.

Both televised Masses, I’ve never seen anyone dressed immodestly even if they were wearing a plain tee shirt and a decent pair of blue jeans. For all I know, they may work for the places putting on the Masses behind the scenes, and that is part of their work wear for their job.

Perhaps, we should take examples from watching those televised Masses and go from there. No one asks for the days where my mother said she and her sister and mother always wore a dress, dress shoes, and a hat to Mass, and her father wore his Sunday suit as the rest of the week, he wore clothing typical for an auto factory worker that he was.

 

[Kathryn_Ann]

Thank you for your insightful posts in this thread. I hope that others can evangelize others simply by dressing decently and modestly for Mass no matter their income, perhaps they will plant a seed in those who are in need.

MissRose73, Bless you, and all here! You are most welcome.
Have a wonderful summer everyone!

 

[Cat]

Church is not the place to dress the way teens want because they are going through a rebellious phase. Even I had to dress decently and modestly for Mass even when my peers were not. They can dress how they want outside of church but they can give 2 hours a week at most wearing modest & decent clothing for Mass even if they have 1 or 2 outfits suitable for Mass.

My mother had to fight that battle with my younger sister as a teen, and I wished she would have been more forceful as my sister often came to Mass dressed too casually & sometimes immodestly looking back in time. I still can picture my sister at the Mass for graduates at the church I attended growing up that I was part of wearing a long tee shirt, long bike shorts that came a few inches above the knees, and Air Jordan tennis shoes. I was wearing a nice short sleeve knee length dress under my graduation gown. In fact, I remember the church bulletin telling the grads to wear appropriate clothing under their graduation gowns.

I remember my 2 female cousins wore up to date clothing most of the time in the late 80’s/early 90’s as teens to school, at home etc. But when it came to Mass, they had to wear a modest & decent dress or a shirt/skirt combination as that was their mother’s rule (and is to this day). The few times I went to Mass with them, I was subject to the same rule, and abided by it (and also if our family attended their church for special occasions, we knew to dress up).

So what you’re saying is that you would physically, if necessary, force your teenager to dress up for Mass, and until the teenager did so, you and the rest of your family would not go to Mass? .Am I understanding your post correctly?

 

[anp1215]

Church is not the place to dress the way teens want because they are going through a rebellious phase. Even I had to dress decently and modestly for Mass even when my peers were not. They can dress how they want outside of church but they can give 2 hours a week at most wearing modest & decent clothing for Mass even if they have 1 or 2 outfits suitable for Mass.

My mother had to fight that battle with my younger sister as a teen, and I wished she would have been more forceful as my sister often came to Mass dressed too casually & sometimes immodestly looking back in time. I still can picture my sister at the Mass for graduates at the church I attended growing up that I was part of wearing a long tee shirt, long bike shorts that came a few inches above the knees, and Air Jordan tennis shoes. I was wearing a nice short sleeve knee length dress under my graduation gown. In fact, I remember the church bulletin telling the grads to wear appropriate clothing under their graduation gowns.

I remember my 2 female cousins wore up to date clothing most of the time in the late 80’s/early 90’s as teens to school, at home etc. But when it came to Mass, they had to wear a modest & decent dress or a shirt/skirt combination as that was their mother’s rule (and is to this day). The few times I went to Mass with them, I was subject to the same rule, and abided by it (and also if our family attended their church for special occasions, we knew to dress up).

Another way to avoid this is to not allow the teenager to own the immodest clothes in the first place. Booty shorts aren’t appropriate for church or anywhere else.

 

[maltmom]

Another way to avoid this is to not allow the teenager to own the immodest clothes in the first place. Booty shorts aren’t appropriate for church or anywhere else.

Thank you. I was just going to post something like this. Teenagers are minors. Don’t buy immodest clothes for your children. If they buy them while out with a friend take them away. If your teen owns something borderline immodest or inappropriate for Mass make it know that it’s going in the trash if another outfit isn’t chosen. I know I’m getting old when I start thinking that kids are running over their parents.

As for adults. I can honestly say I’ve yet to see an adult wearing something immodest to Mass. I go to a college chapel. Only once have I seen shorts on a female that were even mid-thigh an they weren’t tight.

I’m not the fashion police. I’d rather sit behind two teens dressed in short and t-shirts reverently participating in Mass than behind two ladies moderately dressed whispering through the consecration. I’ve been around those 2 ladies twice. I now sit somewhere else so I can focus more on my Lord.

 

[irishpatrick]

The point of these sorts of threads is not to create a clothing police. Rather, the point is to call attention to the fact that we have lost so much reverence during Mass, in our culture and faith–and pretty much in everything.

We need to bring back awe for the Lord–we need to bring back fear of the Lord–we need to bring back a deep feeling of respectful love for what the Lord gives us every single day, and we need to bring back the idea that we owe each other a debt.

Going to Mass should be the most awe inspiring thing we do–and should create reverence within us that goes beyond anything the world has to offer–and we should go to Mass knowing that we are going to receive Jesus’ Real Body, Blood, Soul and Divinity.

How can we ever hope to convert the world when act so very much like the world?

How can ever hope to attract our fallen away brothers and sisters when we act as if Mass means nothing special in our lives?

We are called to be the salt and the light. We are not to hide that light–the world is supposed to see how much we love, respect and honor our Risen Lord–and the world needs to see our joy in all that! We are called to be set apart and to be seen as being set apart!

 

[MissRose73]

The problem was with my sister as an older teen she had a car and part time job so she had a bit more freedom compared to me who waited to have a car & part time job til after high school was done. It is possible my sister could have borrowed some of her clothes from classmates who were close to her size. I knew not to push my mother to allow me to have revealing clothing but why my mother permitted it for my sister is beyond me.

Many teens have such freedoms I’ve described about my sister especially older teens. Some may be like I was where my mother had to take me to the store for clothes as I was not allowed to drive alone until I completed high school. Even though I set a good example for my sister in many ways, but she chose a different path despite our strict upbringing.

 

[johnnyjones]

Thank you. I was just going to post something like this. Teenagers are minors. Don’t buy immodest clothes for your children. If they buy them while out with a friend take them away. If your teen owns something borderline immodest or inappropriate for Mass make it know that it’s going in the trash if another outfit isn’t chosen. I know I’m getting old when I start thinking that kids are running over their parents.

As for adults. I can honestly say I’ve yet to see an adult wearing something immodest to Mass. I go to a college chapel. Only once have I seen shorts on a female that were even mid-thigh an they weren’t tight.

I’m not the fashion police. I’d rather sit behind two teens dressed in short and t-shirts reverently participating in Mass than behind two ladies moderately dressed whispering through the consecration. I’ve been around those 2 ladies twice. I now sit somewhere else so I can focus more on my Lord.

But it seems modesty goes out the window when an adult leaves mass. God knows what we look like in our birthday suits yet correctly the Vatican limits the amount of skin to show for a reason. All you have to do is figure out the reason and then we will all know that what we wear after mass as well is not so subjective, contrary to what many put forth.

 

[Annabelle_Marie]

I agree. What IS the use? If parent’s don’t care it’s left up to pastors and most I know would NEVER have the resolve to put in a dress code.

Or some of us did not have parents to teach us anything. My dad did not teach me to go to confession…why would he worry about clothes.

Those kids that have loving parents that teach them are lucky indeed! But not all of us were that lucky…

 

[Annabelle_Marie]

So, you’ve now judged me to be judge-mental? I was speaking in general, not to anyone in particular, so there is nothing personal in my comments whatsoever. It sounds as if you are experiencing second thoughts and worry what others think, while you may look perfectly lovely yourself. I stand my ground on every woman owning a full length mirror and a compact though, that’s just standard equipment in the South!

My whole point is that those of us who have choices should care whether or not we’re wearing something inappropriate or that might cause others harm, such as skimpy, tight, or flashy clothing that draws attention from the Mass.

The attitude of* not caring *if we’re offending others is a curious one. We should always care, and act in a caring manner. This is why churches all over Europe and the Holy Land require “proper” attire to enter Holy places of worship. Travelers who can afford the expensive trip should not be shocked to be turned away if wearing mini shorts and halter tops upon entering places with especially deep meaning to the locals.

My whole point is kindness, and caring, and also reaching out to the poor who have few choices at all. I’m confident that all here would agree with that.
Peace,
Kathryn Ann

It seems no matter what you were to Mass there is always someone who disagrees with it…heck I’ve had people say here that a short sleeve blouse is immodest for a women…because the bare arm is showing.

While I think there are some bare minimums for decency…it always seems to denegrate into peoples personal preferences…which then confuses people more…

One attire I will never understand is the lady at daily Mass with a head covering…and a mini skirt…

 

[johnnyjones]

It seems no matter what you were to Mass there is always someone who disagrees with it…heck I’ve had people say here that a short sleeve blouse is immodest for a women…because the bare arm is showing.

While I think there are some bare minimums for decency…it always seems to denegrate into peoples personal preferences…which then confuses people more…

One attire I will never understand is the lady at daily Mass with a head covering…and a mini skirt…

Is it that hard for a small portion of the sleeve to cover the arm though? The priest is standing there fully loaded with garments on a hot day
.

 

[Maria1993]

I personally haaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaate wearing skirts.
Since I was a kid. I just wear dark jeans like I said. I wonder if they would let me in the Basilica with pants on. Atleast I am being modest.

 

[LightBound]

I personally haaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaate wearing skirts.
Since I was a kid. I just wear dark jeans like I said. I wonder if they would let me in the Basilica with pants on. Atleast I am being modest.

Not only pants, but capri pants, since the sign outside St Peter’s shows it!

 

[austenbosten]

The point of these sorts of threads is not to create a clothing police. Rather, the point is to call attention to the fact that we have lost so much reverence during Mass, in our culture and faith–and pretty much in everything.

We need to bring back awe for the Lord–we need to bring back fear of the Lord–we need to bring back a deep feeling of respectful love for what the Lord gives us every single day, and we need to bring back the idea that we owe each other a debt.

Going to Mass should be the most awe inspiring thing we do–and should create reverence within us that goes beyond anything the world has to offer–and we should go to Mass knowing that we are going to receive Jesus’ Real Body, Blood, Soul and Divinity.

How can we ever hope to convert the world when act so very much like the world?

How can ever hope to attract our fallen away brothers and sisters when we act as if Mass means nothing special in our lives?

We are called to be the salt and the light. We are not to hide that light–the world is supposed to see how much we love, respect and honor our Risen Lord–and the world needs to see our joy in all that! We are called to be set apart and to be seen as being set apart!

Yes, thank you for this.