Jump to content
An Old School Catholic Message Board

Do You Wear A Veil Or Headcovering In Church?


kg94

Do you wear a headcovering/veil in Church?  

69 members have voted

You do not have permission to vote in this poll, or see the poll results. Please sign in or register to vote in this poll.

Recommended Posts

Would you if others did? Or is it something you just would or wouldn't do?

 

I veil in Church always, and that is something I believe I have always been called to do.

What about you?

 

I will say more about my vocation story etc later on.

Link to comment
Share on other sites

Catholicterp7

I started veiling about six years ago after I went to my first TLM with my brother and sister-in-law. I'm a history buff and I love old traditions of all sorts so when I learned the history of veiling I was fascinated and started veiling simply because of tradition.Then I read the scripture from 1st Corinthians and was very convicted. 

My sophomore year of high school, five years ago, I started wondering about veiling during personal prayer at home and when I'm sitting with a friend praying for her etc. but it seemed so weird to wait and grab my mantilla before starting to pray so I kind of had an inkling of maybe veiling full time but didn't think any Catholics did that. The other thing for me was that I really don't want to wear anything that looks like a religious sister's veil because I'm not a sister yet and for some reason that's really important to me that people don't take me for a sister by what I wear.

I continued to ignore this prompting until my senior year when over Christmas break I found a group of Catholics who veil full time. That was it for me, I started veiling full time. Last year I took a little bit of a break because I realized that it had lost it's meaning for me and I was only doing it because I felt like people expected me to by that point so for about a semester and a half I took a break which was so much needed. Now I'm back to covering any time I'm out of the house/have people over to the house. 

JMJ+ :heart: 

Link to comment
Share on other sites

DiscerningCatholic

Always to the power of always. At the conference I went to last year, one of the speakers talked about the Mass. She said that the Mass, the communion rite especially, is a wedding. If Mass is a wedding and we all are brides, why shouldn't we veil? Added to that, I realized that women are required to wear veils in the Vatican. If we veil at the Vatican in the presence of the Pope, why not veil at regular Mass in the presence of God? 

 

Plus, it's just good practice for my nunhood. :nun:

Link to comment
Share on other sites

I would veil, but the problem is that my church is kind of lay back when it comes to dress. I would stick out like a sore thumb! And I don't want to draw any attention to myself during the Mass

Link to comment
Share on other sites

abrideofChrist

Well, I normally wear a headcovering to Church when going to another Consecration or like solemn occasion.  I canonically received a veil at my Consecration.  Like many other consecrated virgins, I do not wear a veil in day to day life in Church because it is not required and because my veil is bridal!   When consecrated virgins use the term "veiling" they are referring to the practice of the Church to describe the Rite of Consecration to a Life of Virginity or widowhood in antiquity.  In the early Church, the Rite was called "The Veiling of Virgins" or "The Veiling and Consecration of Virgins" because the bishop imposed the bridal veil upon the virgin. 

 

I also feel very strongly that my vocation is to be a strong witness in the world, and a veil separates from the world.  I occasionally see the Amish and Mennonites and others, and their reason for dressing the way they do separates them from the world.  As I am not a religious sister specifically called to visible separation, nor do I desire to be visibly separated, I do not wear headcoverings inside or out of my house except outdoors in the winter to protect me from the elements.  For me personally, I feel that it is important that lay persons in the Church see that holiness is possible (expected) under normal conditions without visible separation from the world and that one can be attired in non-drab, non-dowdy clothes and be attracted more by the joy of a fulfilled vocation in the handmaid of the Lord.  I really enjoy the relative anonymity of sitting in the pews or walking in the store with other people wearing their wedding rings and watching our mutual witness to the contentment of living our vocations in the world.  I would rather be identified as Christian by the "see how they love one another" comment than not. 

 

I should also mention that as a woman, I have been looked down upon by other women in the EF community (I attend both forms) and choose not to wear headcoverings because the degree of judgment that I have seen by some women who wear headcoverings in different EF parishes I've been to made wearing them unattractive to me personally.  I was just talking to one of the priests in my former parish and he was telling me how in Europe those who attend the EF seldom wear a headcovering and often come to Mass in slacks.  Thus I feel called to not wear a headcovering in Church to stand in solidarity with those who are judged for not wearing an optional item- sometimes quite severely.  This of course, is purely my personal position and feeling on the matter. 

 

Lastly, I pray very hard for the conversion of the followers of the false prophet.  The sack or head covering they wear is emblematic of servitude and supreme disrespect for women.  Somehow Christian men are able to endure the beauty of the glory of the woman (hair) in the office and can concentrate on business but all of a sudden it is distracting and tempting in Church?  I will not participate in blaming Eve for what is the man's responsibility. 

Link to comment
Share on other sites

Catholicterp7


First of all I want to say that I am very sorry that you were judged for not wearing a veil. I personally prefer the EF and wear a veil but I never think less of any woman who doesn't in either form as,  like you said, it is optional. I also want to say that the below is strictly my opinion and experience and I understand that it's different for other women. I don't want to come off as judgmental because I promise that's not the way I mean this. 

 

 

 

I also feel very strongly that my vocation is to be a strong witness in the world, and a veil separates from the world.  I occasionally see the Amish and Mennonites and others, and their reason for dressing the way they do separates them from the world.  As I am not a religious sister specifically called to visible separation, nor do I desire to be visibly separated, I do not wear headcoverings inside or out of my house except outdoors in the winter to protect me from the elements.  For me personally, I feel that it is important that lay persons in the Church see that holiness is possible (expected) under normal conditions without visible separation from the world and that one can be attired in non-drab, non-dowdy clothes and be attracted more by the joy of a fulfilled vocation in the handmaid of the Lord.  I really enjoy the relative anonymity of sitting in the pews or walking in the store with other people wearing their wedding rings and watching our mutual witness to the contentment of living our vocations in the world.  I would rather be identified as Christian by the "see how they love one another" comment than not. 

 

I find it interesting that you've experienced headcoverings as a separation from the world as that is very different from what I've experienced. I have never had anyone look at me differently or been put off by my headcovering in any way. I as a lay person find that the headcovering helps me maintain my focus and inner contemplative life, which we are all called to no matter our state in life, while being fully immersed in the world.

My work requires me to be very involved socially in a very secular community. At times it's hard for me to remember that, while I love ASL and the Deaf community, it's not the most important thing in my life, my relationship with God is and so having to put in the extra effort to find a covering that's interpreter appropriate and will stay on my head while working is a good way for me to, like I said above, stay focused on what's really important in life. 

 I feel that it is important that lay persons in the Church see that holiness is possible (expected) under normal conditions without visible separation from the world and that one can be attired in non-drab, non-dowdy clothes and be attracted more by the joy of a fulfilled vocation in the handmaid of the Lord. 

This I find very interesting again because it's so different from my experience. I'm kind of mystified that you equate headcoverings with drab and dowdy clothes. Anyone who knows me knows that I love bright colors, bold patterns and nice-fitting, pretty clothes. It's true, what I wear is certainly not "in style" but that's because what's in style for people my age is very immodest and I'm just not interested in dressing like that. I would love to hear the experiences that have led you to draw that conclusion. 

 

I already shared about why I cover so I won't go over that again but for me it's simply a respect thing. I know that in today's day and age it's not considered disrespectful for women to have their heads uncovered which is why I don't have a problem with women who don't cover but, again like I said above, I'm very into History and love traditions and "old school" ways of doing things.

 

JMJ+ :heart:

Link to comment
Share on other sites

ChristinaTherese

I veil when I'm inside churches and when I'm praying the Liturgy of the Hours in my room. I started veiling over the summer just because it had been chasing me for a few months and starting at a parish where people didn't know me felt easier. For a while last quarter I kept my veil on for most of the day, because my veil was just really nice and pretty and not at all obvious, but then I realized that it was wearing out due to how I was treating it, so I made a new one that would be far too obvious if I wore it around campus.

Lastly, I pray very hard for the conversion of the followers of the false prophet.  The sack or head covering they wear is emblematic of servitude and supreme disrespect for women.  Somehow Christian men are able to endure the beauty of the glory of the woman (hair) in the office and can concentrate on business but all of a sudden it is distracting and tempting in Church?  I will not participate in blaming Eve for what is the man's responsibility. 

I have no idea what the first sentence of your paragraph means, so maybe I'm just confused about the entire paragraph. But the reason I veil has nothing to do with men, only with God. It is because God is present and because I long to have a heart that is "hidden with Christ in God" (I don't know where that quote is from) that I veil my head. I do not seek to judge those who do not, and sometimes just want a sign hanging around my neck saying something like: "Move along, folks. Nothing to see here." (Obviously I do not represent the world, but that's just my two cents.)

 

I do at times. Maybe 2 people in my parish cover. Kinda sad.

I think that more people have started veiling after I did. Mostly old ladies with hats. Anyway....

 

The other thing for me was that I really don't want to wear anything that looks like a religious sister's veil because I'm not a sister yet and for some reason that's really important to me that people don't take me for a sister by what I wear.

Same here. I started with a scarf that basically covered all of my hair, and after a while felt rather uncomfortable with that and wanted something that looked less like a Sister's veil, hence messing with a few other veils since.

Link to comment
Share on other sites

FutureSister2009

I really want to, especially when I'm at the Traditional Latin Mass where a majority of the women have their heads covered in some way. But my grandmother doesn't like it because she thinks it means we're going to become nuns. But she's going to have to accept the fact that I want to be a Sister someday. And I feel I should have the freedom to wear one if I wanted to and not care what she thinks.

Link to comment
Share on other sites

I used to have a lacy white mantilla, but it was totally not me so I gave it to a friend. I used to wear a hat, but I've recently gotten out of the habit of wearing it. I should try wearing it again. For some reason my parents gave me a white chapel cap as a stocking stuffer for Christmas, but I think it looks stupid on me so I haven't worn it. All that to say that I have the desire to veil, but I haven't exactly found the way that works for me. The PSSC postulants wear black mantillas which I think I'd like better than white ones.

Link to comment
Share on other sites

Create an account or sign in to comment

You need to be a member in order to leave a comment

Create an account

Sign up for a new account in our community. It's easy!

Register a new account

Sign in

Already have an account? Sign in here.

Sign In Now
×
×
  • Create New...