Dress to Serve

 

 Dress to Serve 

St. Mark’s Catholic Community Dress Code

 

For all Lectors, Cantors, Psalmists, Eucharistic Ministers, Musicians, Ushers, and Liturgical ministers who serve the liturgy AND the congregation.

Lectors, Greeters, Extraordinary Ministers, Ushers, Musicians, Cantors, and anyone speaking from the ambo or cantor stand are role models.

The best practice is to not draw attention to yourself or distract clergy or congregation from the Liturgy.

The following are specific guidelines with examples of both acceptable and unacceptable dress for service on the altar:

  • First preference is no blue jeans, but jeans in good condition are acceptable: clean, with no holes or rips. Preferred are Docker-style slacks for men and collared shirts.
  • Cantor or Psalmists, No jeans when serving on the altar.
  • No tee-shirts. An exception for tee shirts is if an entire group of Mass attendees wears them for a specific event or reason.  (Ex. Evangelization Retreat attendees)
  • No shorts, exercise clothing, or sweatpants.
  • Sandals or athletic shoes that are clean and in good condition are acceptable. No flip-flops.
  • Women and girls: modest dresses, skirts, blouses, pants. No tube tops, no exposure of cleavage, bare midriffs, bare shoulders, or backs. No miniskirts.  Women may wear leggings when covered by a tunic or other top that reaches below the hips.
  • Sport team tees, shirts, jackets or hats, novelty ties and anything else that draws undo attention to yourself is not acceptable.
  • Observe good habits of personal hygiene including clean fingernails and hair.

 

Clothing makes a statement about who we are and what we value. When we dress excessively casually or are unclean, we seem to be saying “nothing is really all that important.” When we dress to draw attention to ourselves we seem to be saying “nothing is more important than me.”

Going to God’s house IS important, more important than asserting our individuality. Being ministered to by the King of Kings and Lord of Lords is astounding.

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