The Lost Liturgical Dress Code: No, it's not a novel...

... but, unfortunately, the idea of dressing modestly for Mass is quite novel to some Catholics:

Father Gregory Pilcher, pastor of Holy Redeemer Church in El Dorado in southern Arkansas, has a dress code that allows parishioners to wear casual clothes, provided they are "clean, neat and modest," he said. 

The policy is posted on the parish website, in the parish bulletin and has been announced from the pulpit. One family in particular has refused to comply. 

Father Pilcher was celebrating Mass one day and noticed a young woman in the congregation wearing a skimpy dress. He spoke to her afterward, requesting she wear clothes that left more to the imagination. She objected, saying she had worn the dress to other parishes without incident and that it was her right to dress as she wished. She returned with her parents, who joined in her protest. 

In response, Father Pilcher said, "I asked them if it would be OK if I wore only a bathing suit with the right liturgical colors and thongs to celebrate Mass. But my argument didn't work; they insisted what I wore wouldn't matter, either." 

The family continues to attend Mass with the daughter wearing what she pleases, still annoyed that Father Pilcher brought up the subject. He said, "I see that same family at the 10 a.m. Mass every Sunday, sitting there glaring at me." 

But despite the grief the one family has caused, most of the 300 families in the community have been supportive. In fact, some of the parishioners have been more outspoken and aggressive about the policy than he has. "They can be uncharitable about it," he said. "I strive not to be."

That is from an article in the August 21st edition of Our Sunday Visitor newspaper, "Church dress codes call for more modesty at Mass", by Jim Graves. The best line comes from a priest in Minnesota: "When the issue arises, I tell our parishioners, 'We like seeing you in church — just not so much of you.'" Amen to that!