Waterbury Democrat., 1902-09-08
WOMEN'SBIC HATS
Some Clergymen Say They Are
 Nuisance in Church.
THEY DISTURB WoRSHIPPERS

 People in the Rear of the Church Cana
 not See the -Theaters
 Ahead of Churches in This Respect
 for Ladies Are Expected to Remove
 Their Hats When They Go To
 Plays
 Fishkill Landing, N. Y., Sept S.-7 When Rev John J. McGrath of St Johns Roman Catholic church of this place delivered a sermon to the women of his congregation, telling them that Sunday bonnets were becoming so elabi crate and expensive as to interfere with the proper conduct of services, he struck sentiment which long ago was we'll rooted in the minds of many preachers in this section. Here is how a Newburg clergyman now sums up his opinion:
 "Newburg women churchgoers wear hats far too large. Our Sunday morn- ing services are assuming more the ap- pearance of dress shows and flower gardens than devotional exercises. 1t Is about time that they curtail some of the expensive features of their Sunday bonnets and wear ones that take up less room. It seems to me that a small hat can be made to look just as attrac- tive as a large one. Not only do the large hats obscure the view of persons seated in the back pews and detract from service itself, but when priests are administering communion they have great difficulty in seeing the wo- mans mouth. It is difficult matter for a preacher or priest to complain of from his pulpit, but I admire the courage of Father McGrath, who was not a bit afraid to challenge woman's vanity in the interest of religion"
 The Newburg minister declared that if all the preachers would agree to do the same he would make an announce ment from his pulpit asking the women of his congregation to please wear small hats on Sundays. Four ministers of different denominations at Newburg declared that they were in favor of smaller hats on Sunday for women. Each of them expressed various incon- veniences resulting from the prevalence of expensive headgear. Ordinarily. they said, it was not the business of a preacher to dictate to his congregation as to what kinds of clothing they should wear, but, since it was the cus- tom of women to wear hats in church they should not be encouraged to wear them of such dimensions as to inter- fere with the services. Here are tho objections given by the preachers td the expensive hats:
 They obscure the view of the pulpit from the pews in the back of the church, so that those sitting in the rear have to strain their necks or lis- ten to the sermon without seeing the preacher
 They detract, by the gaudiness or fashionableness, from strict attention to the services, so that, instead of en- toying the full meaning of the sermon members Of the congregation go away: with snatches of it caught in the mos ments spared from observing the styles
 They interfere with the proper ads ministration of communion, so that the priest is unable to see the communi- cant,s face.
 "For long time I have been won- dering how to call the attention of the women of the congregation to the fact | that their hats were entirely too large, but have .hesitated to do so, said one preacher. 'sI was afraid l might cause offense rather than correct an evil. I'm
 glad Father McGrath has found the
 courage to preach what is in his mind- On some bright Sunday mornings when | would expect to be able from my pulpit to look into congregation of
 bright faces, sometimes 1 am compelled to gaze into what seems a flower gar- den or a mixed up ribbon counter. Once | in a while I am able to catch sight OF
 a face here and there, but usually
 am left to the supposition that tho faces are all there, although can't see I them.
 "In the matter of big hats the thea- l ters are ahead of the churches" said
 another minister. ''Thc former dd not hesitate to post notices that hats shall come off during the performances 1t is q custom, however, for women to wear hats in church, and it is too bad to contemplate that a theatrical performance Is given more considera- ton than a religious service"