The church experience has really changed since the old days.
Very few people dress up for church anymore. Yes, it’s good to see people attend. And better to attend than not attend. But my goodness, torn jeans, thong underwear showing, butt cracks showing, dirty t-shirts, tennis outfits, shorts, sandals, dirty hair.
Yes it’s good that people are in church and better to be there than not attend. But I think people’s appearance and demeanor in church reflects some of the other negative changes in society as a whole.
And these same older people leave while the last hymn is being sung! Often my husband and I are standing and singing while surrounded by nearly empty pews.
I will say one other thing: at the Spanish mass at our church the Mexicans dress up! The women have on dresses and the guys, if not in coat and tie, are at least in a tucked-in dress shirt with a belt!
I think this is an American phenomenon, and it was started by the loss of the dress codes in the schools. I have seen blue jeans and flip-flops at expensive restaurants, high school graduations, weddings, and even funerals!!
Americans need to understand again the theory of appropriate dress
I agree completely, but I will say this. The first Catholic service I ever went to was in the cathedral in St. Louis for a midnight mass, when I was just a kid. There was a barefoot street person there, I remember distinctly, and I was very impressed that the Catholic Church let you come even if you weren’t dressed to the nines. I was in Episcopal church at the time. It still doesn’t excuse laziness and slobbery among the people. One of my favorite quotes is from St. John Vianney... “Nothing we can do is ever good enough for God.”
Rich people dress to go to church like they are going to the gym. Poor folks dress in their Sunday best.