What is your reaction to woman wearing a mantilla?

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CruceSignati said:
There is a woman and her daughter who wear mantillas at Mass (OF, not EF) and a few older ladies who wear hats. As a young, traditional sort of Catholic teen, I would really like to wear a mantilla at Mass out of reverence for my Heavenly King, but my charismatic parents would probably throw me out for it. 😛
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If you want to show reverence to your Heavenly King by covering your head, don’t feel limited to a lacy mantilla. You can do so by a scarf, a beret, or a large headband.

I never got the appeal of a lacy mantilla, unless that is the cultural norm for your ethnicity or location.

I would rather see a simple scarf in a neutral color than a fancy, lacy covering. At Mass, we are at the foot of Calvary and while we should dress nicely, I can’t imagine the Blessed Mother or St Mary of Magdala wearing lacy veils with metallic threads to the Crucifixion of the Lord.
 
As to doing this to call attention to myself? Really? Well, this has not been a picnic for me, but I do it, because I believe in the Virgin of Fatima. She gave us a direct order not to follow these fashions, that there would be some fashions which would come that would, in fact, be very offensive to God.

Now, I am trying to resist these modern fashions which are so terrible, to ourselves, eachother, and God. If you don’t believe me, just look about, even in Church. We are temples of the Holy Spirit, children of God, and I think we should start acting, dressing, and speaking a little differently.

I think people when they dress respectfully act more respectfully, just my opinion. I think wearing a mantilla is an extra effort, to show respect. If you don’t to use it, don’t wear one, but please stop persecuting those who do. We’re NOT committing any sins, whereas a lot of people in church, in their immodest dress, their inappropriate T-shirts with every kind of terrible image, probably are.

I believe people have gotten themselves into hell for what they have worn. Saints have told us as much. In fact, one saint said she talked to a woman in hell who was there for wearing someone that was just the fashion of the day!

We are told to do what’s right, whether it’s popular or not. Why not instead focus your attention on people who are doing something wrong, or sinful, rather than trying to change people who are not doing anything wrong or sinful?
 
LightBound said:
If you want to show reverence to your Heavenly King by covering your head, don’t feel limited to a lacy mantilla. You can do so by a scarf, a beret, or a large headband.

I never got the appeal of a lacy mantilla, unless that is the cultural norm for your ethnicity or location.

I would rather see a simple scarf in a neutral color than a fancy, lacy covering. At Mass, we are at the foot of Calvary and while we should dress nicely, I can’t imagine the Blessed Mother or St Mary of Magdala wearing lacy veils with metallic threads to the Crucifixion of the Lord.
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I don’t know. I watched “Fiddler on the Roof”, and the Russian Jews in that time were depicted as wearing something that looked an awful lot like mantillas.
 
I didn’t vote, because there was no positive reaction option! The first time I ever saw a woman in a mantilla was at our local OF parish and I was very impressed at how seriously she took her Faith, seriously enough to be that counter-cultural. As a man, I obviously don’t wear one, but I do try to always be in at least a shirt, a pair of dress pants, and a tie - that is frequently counter-cultural too (especially in the summer)!
 
Thank you for all your replies. I always wear one when I go to the EF, and I feel better wearing it all the time. But I don’t want to be offensive or a distraction. Judging from the responses here, I don’t think I have to worry. Thanks. 🙂
 
I have no problem with it at all. Being baptized in the Greek Orthodox Church, it’s common to see women with a scarf or other type of head covering, though my Mom saw no need for me to cover my head. I hope to wear one following my conversion to the RCC, but I have to finish knitting it first. :rolleyes: My best friend who is Catholic wears a mantilla, and personally, I think it’s wonderful that women still cover their head in reverence today. However, whether or not someone wears one is none of my business. If you want to cover your head, great, but if not, that’s great too, because it is a personal decision, and no one should ever tell you what is right or wrong in relation to covering your head, whether it be a boy, girl, man or beast.
 
I have a question for those here that wear mantillas. I’ve noticed that women I see wearing them at an ordinary Mass (not Latin) kneel during the Our Father and during the Lamb of God. I understand that is the way it’s done in a Latin Mass. It makes me feel like if I were to wear one, I would need to do the same. I’m not used kneeling at those times. What is appropriate? I’ve been thinking about the possibility of getting and wearing one, but I feel uncomfortable with this issue. Any insight would be appreciated. Thanks!
 
Brooklyn said:
I am purposely not posting this in the Traditional forum because I would like the opinion of Catholics who don’t normally attend the Extraordinary Form of the Mass. I know that outside of the TLM, most women do not wear anything on their heads when they are in church, so it is definitely out of the norm. How do you feel when you see a woman wearing a mantilla in Church? Do you find it somehow offensive and/or distracting, or is it no big deal to you?

Thanks.
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Its quite common here in the Philippines and I have no problems with it. Why would it be offensive or distracting?
 
You know, we have some ladies who wear something like a mantilla, except it’s cloth, covers their head like a veil. This is with the indigenous women. There are some old timers, especially, who wear this inside and outside of church to this day! I can see them around downtown.

This, to me, is an act of humility rather than pride.

In fact, I’ve sometimes wonder how the Blessed Virgin Mary were to dress had she come to us in modern times. We don’t know, but I’d like to think she’d have worn a mantilla out of respect for Our Lord. That’s just my opinion, though.

Saints generally opted on the side of modesty when given the choice.

You should see what some saints, even a modern one who lived through the 1960s, like Padre Pio, said about that. He wouldn’t let a woman into the confessional without a veil.
 
PietroPaolo said:
I didn’t vote, because there was no positive reaction option! The first time I ever saw a woman in a mantilla was at our local OF parish and I was very impressed at how seriously she took her Faith, seriously enough to be that counter-cultural. As a man, I obviously don’t wear one, but I do try to always be in at least a shirt, a pair of dress pants, and a tie - that is frequently counter-cultural too (especially in the summer)!
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Why don’t you vote that you don’t have a problem with it, so your vote will be counted?
 
We have quite a few who veil at our parish. 🤷 No biggie. I just think their spirituality is calling them to veil. Mine calls me to other forms of devotion.
marywarfield said:
One gets tired of this stuff. I was raised by a woman
who was catechized in the Eastern Church. Sometimes
I make the Sign of the Cross left to right and sometimes
right to left. Sometimes MY cross making causes
others to comment, snicker etc and others ignore
it. My priest just laughs and says Having an Eastern
day, Mary? He gets it.
The other day I mentioned to my husband
that I would like to go back to head coverings.
He’s all for it as I wire them for years. But there
is exactly one woman in our entire parish who
covers her head and I know the scuttlebutt will
be worse than my cross signing if suddenly I start
wearing head coverings so I’m waiting for a good
snowstorm lol.
But really? If everyone in your pew has a
prayer card to the Holy Spirit but you have one
to the Little Flower, does it make you a weirdo?
People need to start spending more time worrying
about their own business or like my husband
who just takes his glasses off and can’t see who
is wearing or doing what. That is refreshing. This
nitpicking gets so tiresome.
You want a mantilla? Wear a mantilla.
You sign right to left? So be it.
After all your soul belongs to you and God not
the busybody in the second pew over.
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Excellent post.

It also made me chuckle. Sometimes I cross right to left, too. My reason is because after teaching so many little ones how to cross by creating a “mirror” image for them to copy, I often relapse and cross in the opposite manner that is customary. 😛 Only my kids snicker. 🙂
 
BLP said:
I have a question for those here that wear mantillas. I’ve noticed that women I see wearing them at an ordinary Mass (not Latin) kneel during the Our Father and during the Lamb of God. I understand that is the way it’s done in a Latin Mass. It makes me feel like if I were to wear one, I would need to do the same. I’m not used kneeling at those times. What is appropriate? I’ve been thinking about the possibility of getting and wearing one, but I feel uncomfortable with this issue. Any insight would be appreciated. Thanks!
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Hi there. I’ve been wearing a mantilla for 5 years. I attend the Novus Ordo primarily and the EF occasionally. I observe the postures appropriate to each one, meaning that when I’m at the Novus Ordo Mass I stand for the Our Father and the Lamb of God. When I’m at the EF I would kneel for those. I dress and veil the same for each because both are the Holy Sacrifice of the Mass.

Hope this helps. God bless you.🙂
 
Oh Ladies! I dare, dare and double dare! Here’s a few links for those who may feel the nudge to go back in time towards the future:

rosamysticamantilla.com/long-black-chapel-veils.php
catholiccompany.com/chapel-veils-c2236/?aid=117&creative=12227603558&device=c&network=s&matchtype=b&gclid=CL625ZGM9bsCFSbNOgodFCIAaw

veilsbylily.com/brands/%252dReady-to-Ship%252d.html?utm_source=Google&utm_medium=CPC&utm_campaign=Ready%20to%20Ship

But be warned, this little bit of tradition may land you on the Cross in the eyes of others.

Oh dear some are so pretty I may just get me a new one or two! I’ve never worn pink. Maybe I should give a colored one a try since another poster has said she loves going colorful.

Glenda
 
Actually, I have covered my head with my wide purple and tan scarf during Adoration a couple of times. My brother, an altar server, said he found it distracting. My three year old sister thinks I look like St. Therese, ( 😛 ) , my mom sees no point in it (I myself don’t understand why mantillas are made in mettalic or fanciful colors) and I haven’t dared to ask my dad what he thinks of it.
 
I have a lady who saw me once with a mantilla in mass, said she didn’t see anything wrong with it, that it reminded her of the Blessed Virgin Mary!

Here, in Mexico, we have the Virgin of Guadalupe. On the 12th of Dec., she appeared. So, on the 12th of EVERY month, ladies dress up, from head to toe, many covering up their heads with something like a veil. Nobody bats an eye at any of them. That’s considered normal, here.
 
Oh, and as to dressing up for mass, people used to always dress up for mass! That’s where we got the expression “Sunday best”. People used to wear their very best clothes to mass on Sunday!

It’s how we are supposed to give our best…our “first fruits” of our work, our time, treasure, talents, etc.
 
glendab said:
Oh Ladies! I dare, dare and double dare! Here’s a few links for those who may feel the nudge to go back in time towards the future:

rosamysticamantilla.com/long-black-chapel-veils.php
catholiccompany.com/chapel-veils-c2236/?aid=117&creative=12227603558&device=c&network=s&matchtype=b&gclid=CL625ZGM9bsCFSbNOgodFCIAaw

veilsbylily.com/brands/%252dReady-to-Ship%252d.html?utm_source=Google&utm_medium=CPC&utm_campaign=Ready%20to%20Ship

But be warned, this little bit of tradition may land you on the Cross in the eyes of others.

Oh dear some are so pretty I may just get me a new one or two! I’ve never worn pink. Maybe I should give a colored one a try since another poster has said she loves going colorful.

Glenda
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I have the full long mantilla (Spanish style) in black, which I wore to Mass for a year after my husband’s death, and still wear for Spanish Masses in a nearby town. I have the short chapel triangular veils in white and soft coral pink, which I wear occasionally. Checked your links and absolutely LOVE the white one called a “Starter Veil”. THAT I would wear to my regular Parish. Only problem is, I have to hold them on with hairpins (I have short, gray hair, hard to hold a veil in place). I also serve as a Eucharistic Minister, and I’m sure I’d get some pointed comments from quite a few of the ladies (all of whom grew up and married prior to Vatican II) which is strange, but they are the ones who basically set the “tone” for all the others. Might try my short white or coral one this weekend, as I am serving the Chalice then, just to see what they say. I’m still uncomfortable with a bare head and no scarf or veil, since I wore one to Mass until I was in my 40’s. Only stopped using them regularly about 25 years ago, when I was the only one left here with it.
 
If someone wants to wear a mantilla, let them wear it. I don’t care. It does, however, call attention to the person who sticks out if they are wearing it and no one else is. Hmm, I have some hats from the 30s an 40s that I inherited - maybe I could get a reaction out of people wearing one of those.
 
I personally feel moved to wear one and I converted to catholicism in a very liberal parish and I have worn one from the first mass I attended, and I had a several people including my own husband tell me how its unnecessary and distracting, then Ill have people ask me if Im from spain, I find myself explaining the veil and my dress so much I had to quit wearing my long black mexican style mantilla and switch to a small black kerchief which against dark hair isnt distracting I hope since a group of ladies told me it was distracting which isnt my intention at all. Never can figure out why me covering up is alarming and the girl in a halter top is ok:shrug: but thats the catholic community I guess if your too traditional you get people attacking you
 
Stillsosola said:
I personally feel moved to wear one and I converted to catholicism in a very liberal parish and I have worn one from the first mass I attended, and I had a several people including my own husband tell me how its unnecessary and distracting, then Ill have people ask me if Im from spain, I find myself explaining the veil and my dress so much I had to quit wearing my long black mexican style mantilla and switch to a small black kerchief which against dark hair isnt distracting I hope since a group of ladies told me it was distracting which isnt my intention at all. Never can figure out why me covering up is alarming and the girl in a halter top is ok:shrug: but thats the catholic community I guess if your too traditional you get people attacking you
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Yeah, well, you’re going against the culture in most places, especially here in Mexico. Expect to get ridiculed here for wearing a mantilla, at least at times or dressing modestly here.

I’ve seen people dress very inappropriately for mass, but the only ones I’ve ever seen anybody speak against are those few women who wear mantillas…go figure!

Although, once a month, people can dress up as the Virgin of Guadalupe. I’m not opposed to that or anything. That’s fine and good. I believe in the Virgin of Guadalupe, and anything that would bring people truly closer to God or her, I’d be in favor of.

I just don’t understand why some people find it okay to cover one’s head once a month, covering their heads, sometimes, both inside and outside of church and later criticize a woman who wants to wear a little mantilla…laced or not, for an hour, sometimes even less, in church.
 
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