Hold Onto Your Hat (or Don’t)

Literally.

I visited a church for high Mass Sunday morning and noticed something on the back of the pew in front of me that I hadn’t seen in many years. In fact the only place I’ve ever seen this thing was at my home parish, Our Lady of Good Counsel in Newark. Take a gander at this.

This is literally the exact same thing down to the brass finish.

Know what it is?

My dad explained it to me when I was a kid. I used to think it was so you could clip your bulletin or maybe a booklet.

Good Counsel was built in 1941.

Back then, men universally wore hats. Fedoras were common but in the decades immediately prior to that bowlers and boaters were common too.

Now if you’re parading up the nave aisle of a gothic church with a wife and ten kids in tow you’re probably also struck with the thought that pew space is at a premium. Don’t want to be taking up a valuable seat with a hat of all things (or worse have one of the kids sit on your hat).

Voila!

The picture shows you a hat clip.

Innovation.

Love it.

Wonder if I can convince my parish to install these since I wear a hat when heading to Mass.