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St. Joseph Catholic Church

1875 S C R 700 W
North Vernon, IN 47265

Rev. Jonathan P. Meyer, Administrator

Office Hours:

Monday Office closed
Tuesday, Wednesday, Friday 8:30 AM till 12:30 PM

St. Joseph Rectory Phone: 812-346-4783
Fax: 812-352-9033

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Why do you wear a black dress?

I have even seen you wear it at ball games and the Jay C. Do you always dress in that fashion? Canon Law, the law of the Church, states in canon 284: “clerics are to wear suitable ecclesiastical garb.” What is suitable ecclesiastical garb? The United States Bishops Conference defined clerical attire for American priests as: a black roman collar with a suit or a roman cassock. The black dress that I wear is called a roman cassock. It is the traditional dress of a Roman Catholic priest. I realize that the “social norm” today and for the past 30 years has been a clerical shirt and suit, or even lay clothes, but I prefer to wear the cassock. I wear the roman cassock and sometimes a clerical suit ALL the time. The only time you will see me not wearing clerical attire is when I am running or doing some sort of exercise. (Oh yeah…I do not sleep in it either). Why do I wear it all the time? First, to be a witness to others about whom I am called to be as a priest. No matter where I go, I am a priest and am called to be a witness to our 2,000-year-old faith in Jesus and His Church. I am called to be a visible witness in word, action and dress. If I am in a gas station, grocery store, library or parish church I am there as a Roman Catholic priest and I am proud to be one. Second, it shows I am always available. I want to be accessible to everyone. There were times in the life of Christ that He went off to deserted places to be alone, but people always found Him and asked for miracles, teaching and prayers. The same is with the life of a priest. You would be amazed at the countless times that wearing clerics in a “secular” places has brought about blessings. Third, I wear clerical attire to live a simple life. As a diocesan priest I am asked to take a voluntary vow of poverty. Having simple clothes and few of them allows me to live this vow of poverty. I can tell you; I have 3 shirts, 3 pairs of pants and 2 cassocks. It is a joy! Fourth, it is my uniform, and uniforms give credibility. When a police officer pulls you over for speeding he is wearing a uniform or at least he presents his badge. When you go to the doctor’s office you expect a white coat to step in the room. I need to be visible in a universal sense so people can find me and get what they expect. Fifth, I am never off duty. Ask a parent if he or she gets a day off…they don’t. Well neither do I. I do not officially take a day off. I take Monday morning as a day of prayer…but NOT as a day off. Normally I am away at a retreat house, with my spiritual director or visiting with a brother priest. Officially I do not have a day off, because I am a priest; it is not a job, but a vocation. I am always working for Jesus; just as a mom or dad is always working in service to their children. Lastly, I wear my clerics to keep myself out of trouble. My clerics are a constant reminder to myself of who I am and what I am to be doing and how I am to be acting. It reminds me to be attentive to what I say, how I act and where I go. I am called to be a constant witness to Christ. So, this being said, when you see me at a ball game, gas station, grocery store or in the church, know that I am there as a visible, sacramental servant of Christ and, God willing, a bridge to heaven.