[SoothingDave]

And one of them, to add insult to injury, had blessed herself on the way out–a meaningless, pietistic gesture.

I wouldn't exactly call such things "meaningless" nor use "pietistic" as an insult. (Piety is to be discouraged now?).

But blessing oneself on the way out of Church is not strictly necessary. On the way in, we are "cleansing" ourselves and preparing to enter into the Presence of God.

On the way out we have the Presence within, or at least have been given a blessing. (Assuming one stays for the entire Mass.)

Blessing oneself with holy water on the way out certainly does no harm, but symbolicly it is not necessary to purify oneself on the way out to the world.

SD

[Polycarp]

I have a feeling that if I sat through this priest's mass, I'd probably need purified on the way out too...