A Note From Our Pastor: August 9, 2026

Recently, someone asked me about the veils you sometimes see women wearing at church. What you sometimes see worn over their heads are referred to as chapel veils or mantillas (from the word manta, which means ‘cape’), and they come from an ancient tradition.

If you ask women who wear them, why they do, you’ll hear varied reasons: “By covering her head with a veil (or mantilla) the woman is agreeing to her beautiful and unique feminine status”, “Veiling indicates sacredness and it is a special privilege of the woman that she enters church veiled”, “The veil is meant to be an external sign of a woman's interior desire to humble herself before God, truly present in the Blessed Sacrament”. More info and frequently asked questions can be found at this website: https://www.veilsbylily.com/frequently-asked-questions/#why

Please know, my mention of this is neither a suggestion nor an expectation. If a woman chooses to wear a veil, as long as the reasons are spiritually healthy (e.g. not to attract attention to herself and that she does so of her personal desire), I believe it to be beautiful and support it. By the way, even though it’s culturally appropriate for a woman to wear a hat to church, perhaps some discretion is still worthy of consideration (such as baseball caps).

As for men, western cultural tradition has long held that men remove hats when they are indoors. I realize that we live in times that are much more relaxed and casual (probably too casual, honestly), so it’s not uncommon or generally considered offensive to wear a cap or hat to restaurants, stores, etc. However, I’m among those who would still suggest that coming to church (as well as times of prayer, solemn ceremonies, etc.) is not an appropriate place for men to wear hats.

I say all this, not meaning to offend anyone, or to assert an opinion upon everyone else. Instead, my intention is to help us ensure we give due honor and respect to God, to the house we have built for God, and also for the sacred endeavors that take place within His house.

On a different note, I want to say a few words about bringing your cell phone into the confessional. Not to be an alarmist, but as AI becomes increasingly prevalent in our phones, we find that they are increasingly intelligent and have listening capacities.

I encourage you to either turn your phone off or to leave it outside the confessional. I realize that some people use their phones when making their confession, so for them, it would be an adjustment. Again, not to create unnecessary fear, but it’s a good idea to help ensure that your confession is heard only by the priest and God.

Yours in Christ,

Father Todd O. Strange