Mantilla

Need to know the meaning of the colors. A lady friend is curious if it makes any difference between black or grey for a funeral. Service will be in Latin.

Besides of a suit and tie anything else I should know? Wear? Not wear?

Is a ladies linen handkerchief appropriate as a gift for the daughter of the mother of the deceased?

Any advice would be appreciated.

Are you family?
Isnt the "daughter of the mother of the deceased" the grand-daughter?
Is that an Opus Dei funeral?

Usually the family wears black and the rest of the people dark colors... but does it really matter????

I'm a friend, the daughters mother passed, the funeral will be in Boston. I don't know the daughter really really well.

"Opus Dei" I don't know I'm not Catholic. The deceased mother was and so are her sisters that will be there also.

Yes it does matter. I ordered a black and a grey Mantilla. I had already ordered the handkerchiefs. I just don't know if it was an appropriate gift/ gesture.

The Sisters ordered a door wreath. I'll order flowers. I've never been to a Catholic Funeral.

She asked me about the Mantilla.

I am or was Catholic and this funeral to me is out of the last century. Latin is not used in main stream catholiciscm..
As I said the people wear dark colors and the family black as a rule but nowadays people wear a bit of everything.. depending how formal the people are.
Mantillas are lace scarves or scares that women used to wear in church but nowadays women do not cover themselves in church any longer. I guess that some women from some countries like Mexico still wear them.. I do not know about Boston as I am a French Catholic.

I would not give anyone handkerchiefs either, those went out way back..

Masses are in the language of the country not in Latin any longer, that went out wayback as well.. I quit going to church when they switch from Latin to the local lnguage and that was more than 50 years ago.
I heard Opus Dei which is a conservative sect or group of the church kept the masses in Latin but to tell you the truth I have no idea if this is true.

Since this funeral sounds like a traditional one from 50 years ago they should be a cold meal served after church..

I am curious the mantilla is for the mother? The daughters?

Each nationality or ethnic group has their own twist so I would not know what to expect.

The daughter. She the one who wanted to know.

Strange...maybe someone else who is a US Catholic would know..

When my mother died in 2003 we had a funeral mass at her church in Connecticut. Many of the attendees were practicing Catholics, some from that church. None of the woman wore head coverings, certainly not mantillas.
Perhaps this woman belonged to a traditional parish where women still cover their heads?