What to wear, what to wear?

While asking What Does the Prayer Really Say?, Father John Zuhlsdorf answers a question from a reader about clerical dress that is worth a read (I, for one, did not know the Roman collar has it's origin in military uniforms).

In his answer, he cites a 1999 letter from the United States Conference of Catholic Bishops about the matter that says:

In liturgical rites, clerics shall wear the vesture prescribed in the proper liturgical books. Outside liturgical functions, a black suit and Roman collar are the usual attire for priests. The use of the cassock is at the discretion of the cleric.

I was happy to see this. I was unaware of this norm and am glad to see it; the cassock is simply more comfortable than the suit.

Enjoyable learning

It's homecoming week at the high school and I've just returned from the basketball game at which the King and Queen were announced.

After the game, which we won, I stopped in the multi-purpose room where decorations were being set up for tomorrow evening's homecoming dance. I almost didn't stop in (I have Mass at 6:30 in the morning), but something told me I should pop in to see how things were going. I'm glad I did.

As no small number of girls arranged balloons and hung banners and the like, I started talking with a couple of freshmen boys who were just standing around. One of them was even trying to hide around a corner as some of the girls were trying to recruit his help; he didn't want to work.

I told him if was going to stay around - which he was - he might as well help. He said he'd help if he could wear my capello Romano, my Roman hat. I agreed and handed it to him. The other boy decided it was time to wear my cape.

I spent the next several minutes showing them the proper way to walk while wearing a cape so your shoulders don't bounce from side to side (it makes you look silly even when not wearing a cape). Then I had to correct their hands as they walked with their hands folded, as I do at Mass; their fingers needed a bit of straightening. Next came lessons in genuflecting (they seemed to have forgotten that you go down on your right knee), followed by lessons in cape twirling. It was a blast and provided no small amusement to the workers around us.

After about twenty minutes of this it was time for me to return to the rectory. I'm not sure if the boys ever did help with the decorations, but they learned a lot tonight.

It's amazing what happens when you wear funny hats and capes (they want me to wear the biretta more often). People really are drawn to them.