Orthodox question

[philia]

How many of you all ware some sort of head cover to church ? I have been Orthodox for 15 years now and have noticed an increase of this at my church. It is mostly converts. I cover at home when I pray at my icon shelf but not at church. I was just wondering if you have noticed an increase over the years and what your thoughts are on covering. I have been reading Paul's lettter to the Corinthians a few times and I start to agree with covering but then I read it again and think otherwise.
Philia

[Tradd]

Originally Posted by philia

How many of you all ware some sort of head cover to church ? I have been Orthodox for 15 years now and have noticed an increase of this at my church. It is mostly converts. I cover at home when I pray at my icon shelf but not at church. I was just wondering if you have noticed an increase over the years and what your thoughts are on covering. I have been reading Paul's lettter to the Corinthians a few times and I start to agree with covering but then I read it again and think otherwise.
Philia

I'm Orthodox and I cover. I've been Orthodox for a little more than six years now.

I'm in the OCA now, and a few of the women in my parish cover besides me. Some converts, some not. We've got a fairly sizable minority of immigrants in our parish, and a good many of those women cover, at least part of the time.

In the Antiochian parish where I was chrismated and spent five years, most of the women covered. In fact, you stood out if you didn't. The priest was very vocal that he preferred it, pointing out the icon of the Theotokos on the iconstasis when he was saying this. Convert priest. Even the very young girls covered - I've even seen girl babies with a little scarf on!

My current priest, cradle, son of a priest, doesn't say a word about it. He feels it's just wiser to let the women work it out themselves!

There's another local OCA priest who actually told someone I know that she shouldn't cover in church, as this was an invention by American converts to Orthodoxy that used to be Protestants. His comment made absolutely NO sense, since his parish has a fairly large number of more recent immigrants, and I'm sure some of those women cover.

I think it also depends a lot on what jurisdiction you are. GOA seems to be the least likely to cover, at least from the parishes I've visited. No for ethnic Antiochian parishes, but it seems to be pretty common for Antiochian convert parishes, from what I've personally experienced and pictures I've seen. ROCOR seems to be the jurisdiction I know of where women cover the most at any parish, from talking with friends. In the OCA, it really depends on the parish itself - convert to cradle ratio, how many immigrants there are, etc.

When I left old parish two years ago and joined current parish (which I love!) I left off covering for close to a year, mostly in reaction to old parish, which was extremely rigid in many things. I'm in choir and we're up front on one side, so everyone sees me in my head covering, but I don't care. Several other women in the choir (of varying ages) also cover. All but one convert.

[philia]

Thanks Tradd

I have felt called to cover for well over a year now. I also have been much more modest in dress since I have had kids. I am thinking about just doing the wide headband because I think I would call attention to myself to start out in a full cover. Then again I should not care. I know people who did not cover a few years ago that now do. I know there have always been immigrants that cover but there is a definite emergence of more covering . I think it has happened to me since I have had children. I know a 73 year old friend who goes on and on about the crazy converts who do it to look holier than though. I disagree. Our babysitter started to cover a year ago and asked our priest about it first and he said as long as you are not doing it to call attention to yourself. Thanks for your response. I admire your covering.
We have all sorts of retreats with speakers. I wish covering could be addressed.
Maybe even something on ancient faith radio would be nice. Our priest's wife and daughter do not cover. I am at a Antiochian, Pan Orthodox Church with 30% convert, heavy middle eastern, Greek, Russian, Ethiopian, Indian, Bulgarian, Romanian, Serbian ect. Maybe during Lent I could try covering some ?
I like what you mentioned about the Theotokas covering. I have never seen her uncovered.
Thanks Again,
Philia

[lilyka]

it just varies according to cultural tradition. Most ethiopian women cover from head to toe in white. Russians and Middle Easteners often cover but Greeks rarely do. I would just talk to your spiritual father about it and get direction from him.

[mamabadger]

I have always covered my head in church, and the women in most of the churches I have attended did so also.

I do not think it relates to culture or ethnicity except incidentally. Until fairly recently all Orthodox churches had men uncover their heads in church, and women cover their heads. (Most Christian churches did likewise, for that matter, until 1960 or so.) The change is more a "modernism" than a cultural thing, and degree of modernization varies from one jurisdiction to another. For example, it was observed that Greek Orthodox women rarely cover in church, but most Greek churches in North America belong to a very liberal jurisdiction. You would see a different situation in traditional "Old Calendar" Greek churches.

By the way, this is not a rule aimed exclusively at women. It is equally important for men to uncover their heads in church, and the issue might be clearer seen in that context.