Presence more powerful than attire

In response to the letter, “Churchgoers should give respect to God,” (CR, Aug. 16), the letter writer was critical of those who come to church in less than their “Sunday best.”
However, the most important consideration is that those people are actually coming to church so they can worship. Continuing to push against these people might very well drive them away from worship altogether.
As a youngster (and now as a parent of three boys), it was common for our
family to go to Mass in Scout or athletic uniforms. And, in many cases, we
squeezed in Mass between games, so sometimes the uniforms were dirty.
However, despite how busy our family’s schedule was, we devoted time during the week to worship.
More importantly, I don’t recall a single instance in the Bible where Jesus
required people to dress in their “Sunday best” when they came to meet him.
It does not matter what you wear to church – as long as you are there.

Catholic Review

The Catholic Review is the official publication of the Archdiocese of Baltimore.