To veil or not to veil?

[CoolandCatholic]

Hola a todas,
I am trying to decide whether or not to begin veiling. I am a 19-year-old college student.
I would like to know why ya'll started veiling and any small steps you took to arrive at that point.
Gracias

[sparrowhawk28]

Hi there!

I'm 20 and about a week ago felt the desire to veil/cover. It was a feeling that came rather quickly and sort of out of nowhere.

I was a bit skeptical at first about the feeling - I didn't really know why I had this urge to veil and wasn't sure how grounded the desire was.
I covered for the first time last Friday at Adoration (I just wore a scarf in a kind of hijab style) and now I know I am meant to veil. It was such a humbling, devotional thing for me.

I'd like to get to the point where I can veil confidently in OF Mass. Though small steps are important At the moment I'm just planning to cover at Adoration (either with a scarf or a hat) and work up to it.

It's great that you're deciding to veil - and great to know that there are other young women like myself out there At the churches I attend, no one veils. So it's a bit daunting But in the end, it really is between us, God and His Son.

God bless!

[PerfectTiming]

I would have been 20 when I started veiling, I was in college too. I kind of leapt into it, I'd been thinking about it for a while until one week I decided to just go for it. No-one else veils at my church but I've never had a negative reaction.

A good small step would be veiling at Adoration or at Daily Mass, since it's a slightly smaller audience. Alternatively, if you can spend some time in prayer at your church outside of Mass then that would be a good small step to start veiling there.

[Vahdez]

Welcome sister!
I am 23 and bought my first veil at the age of 20 after attending an EF mass. I didn't start veiling regularly at mass until this year. Before that, I began veiling when I would go to other churches, I felt it helped me feel more comfortable because I didn't know anyone. I then moved to veiling at daily mass. I will say it is probably easier if you start with subtle veiling such as a hat or scarf I went straight to the mantilla and i think it drew more attention and was harder to get used to.

I recommend starting with a hat, scarf or beret. This will help you get comfortable and it will also help others around you get used to seeing something on your head. That way, when you break out a mantilla they don't really get a major shock.

Other than that, I also recommend saying a prayer before you put on your veil for God to help you veil your heart as well. Pray pray pray!

[catholicanne]

You veil if you feel called to. Simple as that. If people look at you funny then that has more to do with their issues than with anything you do. You veil yourself because you want to feel closer to our Blessed Mother, because you want to honor her, and because you want her to bring you closer to God. You veil because it makes you feel happy. I have no problem whatsoever with women who don't veil, not everyone is called to it. But if you are called to veil, then just do it.

Good luck!

[odile53]

Just go for it, practice custody of the eyes, and ignore anyone who might give you a peculiar look. There aren't that many of them!

By the way, if the movie "For Greater Glory" gets a fairly wide audience, I'd be willing to bet that there will be more mantillas showing up in church over the next few weeks or months.

[Crafty Catholic]

Originally Posted by odile53

Just go for it, practice custody of the eyes, and ignore anyone who might give you a peculiar look. There aren't that many of them!

By the way, if the movie "For Greater Glory" gets a fairly wide audience, I'd be willing to bet that there will be more mantillas showing up in church over the next few weeks or months.

Amen to For Greater Glory! I was really inspired by the veils in the movie and I plan on making on making several similar veils, especially the one worn by Eva Longoria. They should be up in my shop in the next few months.