Since we’ve been on the subject of chapel veils, I was musing on a little story that I thought I might relate. The Doctor and I were in Zimbabwe as part of our honeymoon trip, and we happened to be in Victoria Falls on a Sunday. We were rather conspicuous at the local parish — there weren’t many white people there and they probably identified us immediately as tourists. Naturally I wore my chapel veil to the Mass.

The priest was bustling around the church getting ready for Mass, and passed me kneeling in one of the pews. He actually paused and looked at me in astonishment. “I haven’t seen one of those for years!” he said, obviously referring to my mantilla. “Are they wearing them in America now?”

Before I could answer he hurried on to get on with his Mass preparations. But I had to smile. Actually, we did see a few women at the Mass covering their heads with hats or scarves. But apparently, thanks to me, a group of Zimbabweans now has the impression that chapel veils are all the rage in the USA.