“In a world so denuded of signs and symbols of the sacred, the cassock is back,” Joe Hoover, S.J., wrote in our October 2026 issue. The garment’s return in churches (and grocery stores and hardware stores and on the street) has caused quite a stir. “You see a Catholic priest in 2026 walking around in a cassock,” Brother Hoover wrote, “and it would appear to some he is publicly telegraphing to the world: ‘I am boldly Catholic’ [and] ‘I am taking the church back’ from its diminishers and water-downerers.” But this speculation, the author argues, might be too simplistic. Our readers shared their own views on the cassock’s resurgence.

Whether we like it or not, what we wear sends a signal, and wearing pre-Vatican II garb (be it a priest in a cassock or a woman with a lacy chapel veil) sends the signal that you prefer the pre-Vatican II church. Wear what you want, but be mindful that wearing a cassock instead of the black pants and black shirt with a Roman collar can send some very negative signals that you espouse clericalism and anti-Vatican II opinions.
Mary Gallagher

People, especially Gen Z, like their priests to look like priests. To them it’s not a blast from the past, but a true sign of a spirituality desperately needed in our day and age. Does a priest have to wear this ancient garment? Of course not. He can dress in a black suit and look like an ecclesiastical banker. But maybe we should re-evaluate. There’s life in those old clothes.
Eric Barr

We need to remember that Jesus wore the garb of the day. He wore the same clothes as the people. He did not dress like a king or the high priest in the temple. He dressed like the people he came to save.
Laura Capalbo Bini

I’m a 75-year-old religious order priest and own a habit. My generation disdained the habit, the new generation embraces it. But there is a good, solid, working principle on what a priest should wear: You wear what serves the other in the situation you serve. What you wear isn’t all about you, it’s all about those you serve. Love God and wear what you will!
Frank Sabatté, C.S.P.

Just a few notes from a 72-year-old cradle-Catholic woman who was around before Vatican II. Clothes should not make the person, but visuals are important, too. For me, cassocks are pre-Vatican II. And remember, pre-Vatican II means the Latin Mass, exclusion of the laity and limited roles for women in the church. So a cassock on a parish priest or the seminarians who choose to follow them evokes memories of a dark time in the church, when I was considered less of a member.
Sara Beis

I am one of those who automatically assume that a priest or seminarian wearing a cassock is aligned with those U.S. bishops and Catholics who want to go back to the days of pre-Vatican II without ever talking to him. I aim to be less judgmental in the future.
Barbara Schell

For people who have been hurt by Catholics or by clericalism, a cassock is often a symbol of elitism associated with a negative experience of “how we treat our brother or sister in Christ.” Others may have great associations with cassocks and the men who wear them. The important thing is to remember we are all united by our love for Christ and our belief in his faithful promise to Peter.
Marianne Hudelson

A cassock is a powerful reminder of the sacred. It reminds both the observer and the wearer of their responsibility to act in accordance with the principles, values and spirituality it represents. The cassock is not something far away or outdated; it is quite present. The confidence in wearing priestly or brotherly or sisterly garb may also be something of a sign that the Catholic Church in the United States (and possibly elsewhere) has put some of the past turmoil behind and shows a regained or new stability.
Patrick Morgan

I like seeing priests wear regular comfortable clothing and then vest for liturgical celebrations. And I think it looks a bit silly for a priest to walk into Home Depot wearing a cassock. However, I respect the individual’s choice in such matters. Want to draw people to the church? Pay less attention to yourself. Be joyful and compassionate, generous and nonjudgmental. Love one another.
Mary Benton

This article appears in November 2026.