While visiting with my in-laws outside of Erie I attend their parish for Sunday mass. I have noticed something there that I’ve noticed at other parishes, and it drives me nuts: slovenly attire worn by those attending mass, in particular those serving at the altar.
How can people serve at the altar in the Divine Presence wearing blue jeans and sneakers? How can parents allow their children to dress so poorly for such a high office? More importantly, I wonder how priests can allow children to serve like that? I’ve even seen it at weddings!
I’ve heard arguments about God wanting us to “come as we are” and that it’s good that parents bring their children to church at all. Granted, it is better to be there than to not be there, and some people cannot afford fancy “Sunday go to meetin’” clothes, but I’m certain these suburban folks, working class though they are, would dress themselves and their children better if the Mayor, the President, Dad’s or Mom’s boss, or the Pope came to dinner. Why can’t they dress appropriately for the King of Kings as we celebrate the Paschal Meal?
I’ve also heard that priests couldn’t just turn kids away for dressing thusly. Why not? Servers are not mandatory. Serving is a privilege, not a right. Poorly dressed, poorly trained, and sometimes poorly behaved children should not be permitted to serve at mass. They set a bad example for the rest of the congregation and are poisonous to the catechizing aspects of the liturgy. I am reminded of Archbishop Fulton Sheen who said, “If you don’t behave as you believe, you will end by believing as you behave.” The Church was more explicit about this 500 years ago.
“It is fitting that He Whose abode has been established in peace should be worshipped in peace and with due reverence. Churches, then, should be entered humbly and devoutly; behaviour inside should be calm, pleasing to God, bringing peace to the beholders, a source not only of instruction but of mental refreshment. Those who assemble in church should extol with an act of special reverence that Name which is above every Name, than which no other under Heaven has been given to people, in which believers must be saved, the Name, that is, of Jesus Christ, Who will save His people from their sins. Each should fulfil in himself that which is written for all, that at the Name of Jesus every knee should bow; whenever that glorious Name is recalled, especially during the sacred Mysteries of the Mass, everyone should bow the knees of his heart, which he can do even by a bow of his head. In churches the sacred solemnities should possess the whole heart and mind; the whole attention should be given to prayer.” – Second Council of Lyons, A.D. 1274
As a kid growing up in the Evangelical Lutheran Church of America, I saw a decline in the decorum and dignity of the office of acolyte. Venturing beyond the orthodox confines of my home parish in Pittsburgh, I am seeing the same sad trend in the Roman Catholic Church.
Is this, or has it been, a problem in your parish? Was it or will it be rectified? What did/will you do? Here’s an interesting site about liturgical attire and ettiquette that I mostly agree with. What are your thoughts on it?
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I have an old prayer book somewhere that says you should dress for Mass as you would for the office. Of course, these days, jeans and a t-shirt are office dress for a great many people (myself included). I try to wear a nice shirt, but I can't say I find jeans and sneakers inappropriate church attire per se. Ripped jeans, yes, inappropriate or lewd shirts, sure, but otherwise, I can't say I'm sympathetic with your specific complaint.I do agree generally that one should dress well for Mass; I just draw the line elsewhere.
Where would you draw the line for altar servers?
I would agree that it's a problem. I used to think differently, owing to my evangelical Protestant background (and to the broader culture in which we live), but I've been converted. Seems to me that having a casual attitude about dress at Mass is a symptom of bad theology, poor understanding of liturgy, lack of belief, or all of the above.
Ah, that’s an entirely different kettle of fish, where I’m much more specific. I should’ve said my opinions for altar servers were different.
Black trousers and black shoes (I have a pair of black shoes that sort of straddle the line between dress shoe and sneaker that would serve nicely). I confess I haven’t paid a great deal of attention to the altar boys at my parish’s NO Masses, so I don’t know how their albs are cut, and therefore what sort of shirts would be appropriate. Certainly nothing that would show through.
The overarching rule in my mind is that you shouldn’t wear distracting clothing. These days, the mere presence of jeans in the congregation as a whole isn’t distracting, so I’d allow it (gosh, isn’t it lovely to have such power?), but up in the sanctuary, they look incongruous when contrasted against the server’s alb or cassock.
Or, to put it another way, wear something your school’s show choir director would allow on-stage. It’s a different milieux, but most of the same rules apply, for most of the same reasons.
Everyone drawing the line for themselves is a race to the bottom. “Free dress” without any rules results our current lowest common denominator standards.
This week I saw t-shirts with skulls and cross-bones, bags with the image of the Devil, in addition to the typical out for a picnic going for a picnic dress. Someone leading our RCIA thinks flip flops are proper Sunday mass attire.
What we think of as our “Sunday best” or what is perhaps better referred to as “Sunday acceptable” speaks to how we hold the Eucharist. The dressing down reflects the shift over time in popular belief, with a growing disrespect and disbelief in the Eucharist.
I find it scandalous when altar servers dress down in jeans and sneakers and it goes without comment.
"I judge them and have my monologue in my head about how I respect God's house better than they do. Jesus often interrupts me…"There is a difference between judging standards in general, which is appropriate, and judging people, which is not. I freely confess that while attempting to do the former I end up doing the latter. That doesn't mean establishing and promoting standards shouldn't be done."I've judged altar servers when I see sandals under the robes. But what apostles wore Floresheims?"Cultural context is important. Surely the apostles, being good Jews, would have dressed well to attend Temple services. Sandals may have been acceptable for formal occasions in their place and time, but here and now they are not."In the end, I found that my distaste for casual dress in church was, aside from self-elevation through judgement, a longing for the church of my youth, receiving communion kneeling at the altar, passing my father's inspection for shined shoes before leaving the house."What's wrong with that? I hate the "drive-thru" line for communion and would love to use the communion rail (as I did in the ELCA, which doesn't even believe in the Real Presence)."With so many more Catholics opting out of Mass each Sunday, I don't think we need division among ourselves over clothing. I've come to be glad my fellow parishioners come as they are, because the operative word is 'come.'"Standards are never fully met by every person, every time. The higher they're set, though, the more acceptable failures are. In other words, people tend to do the bare minimum of what they're asked to do, and when standards are low or non-existent failures are rather awful. I'd like to see parishes set high standards while remaining charitable in response to those who do not meet them. As a seminarian friend says, "Be a lion in the pulpit and a lamb in the confessional".
One more thing:Lowering standards and making the Church "warm and fuzzy" in the last 40 years hasn't increased Church membership or vitality. Neither has it increased mass attendance. If we don't treat the sacrifice of the mass as something special, why would should we expect anyone else to?
We can all dress up for what is important to us. So what is important to us?When we come to mass as a community it is the pinnacle of our week. Do we treat it as such? When we meet the rest of the community, it is the body of Christ. Do we treat it as such? One way we show respect to people is how we prepare to meet them, including how we dress. How you dress outwardly shows how we hold the Eucharist, the mass and the rest of the body of Christ. It is an outward sign of an inward disposition. Not the be all and end all, but a sign nonetheless.Those of us who are arguing for better dress have experienced the difference. I used to think it didn't matter that much (though I never wore plain t-shirts or ratty jeans to mass). Experience is a valid teacher, and the lessons learned are worth sharing.Here is a challenge to all those that "dress down" – step it up in your household and SEE the change that it makes. Do this for two months – dress up – even if just a bit. Start a little earlier and have your kids do it too. See the difference that it makes.
"I've heard arguments about God wanting us to "come as we are" and that it's good that parents bring their children to church at all."I heard a quote from Jason Evert that says basically:God doesn't care what evil you're NOT doing, he cares about what good you ARE doing.Seems appropriate here.