Churches
David takes his Mom to church every Sunday. He spends most of his time in the car waiting as the perfume laden worshippers force him out. However, thanks to David’s persistence, check out the following insert in the St. Andrew Parish Bulletin on January 10, 2010. What a great way to start the New Year.
“Welcome to St. Andrew Parish. We are in a transition period of becoming a fragrance free, non-artificial scented product environment. Many people are affected by these products: perfumes, colognes, aftershave, scented deodorants, laundry soap, fabric softener, hair sprays and body creams. All of the above are available “fragrance free.” You have a choice.
These products affect one’s ability to focus or concentrate on what is happening around them. The main reason for attending St. Andrew Parish is to be in a loving, compassionate environment; to participate in the mass.
Perfumed products are known and promoted as a mind and body altering chemical substance (drug) which affects each person differently. For example like cigarettes, some enjoy and others dislike greatly.
Information is available at the Environmental Health Association of Alberta, eha-ab.ca and at Fragrance Free Living.com.
After learning more about these toxic products, we appeal to your compassionate side to make changes. This church is carving the path and setting new standards for Catholic Parishes. Other local churches are already scent free,
Church is a place of worship and reverence. People should be clean without having to use vanity perfume products. It should be a pleasant atmosphere. Church is not about vanity.
During this transition, people will become aware and understand that all scented products can be replaced with fragrance free products.
Please use fragrance-free products. The next time you attend mass, hopefully you will have stopped using scented products.
Regulation bylaws are in affect for everyone’s wellness (e.g. smoking bylaw). This is not about catering to a small handful of people, but increasing awareness for everyone.
Just consider that these manmade chemical products are the same as toxic wastes which are not meant to be eaten, consumed, or applied to one’s skin. Unfortunately our body absorbs these chemicals naturally through skin, lungs, eyes and mouth.
It would be interesting to know how many people already understand and would appreciate this change. Most Government Offices and Hospitals are already scent free.
To people who wear scented products, please do not take offense. We are adjusting with the times to promote a healthy environment for everyone.
Please let us know if you are aware of any other churches that are respectful of this sensitivity.
April 3, 2010 - 8:01 pm
My father is a United church minister in Newfoundland.
Over the last 15 years or so his pastoral charges have been fragrance free. He is sensitive to a lot of scents .
Real flowers have replaced by donations to the family or church. A positive thing came out of a negative thing.
January 16, 2012 - 10:40 pm
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January 19, 2014 - 6:57 pm
I attend a baptist church in north edmonton, which I like very much. The pastor there has made a couple of announcements in regards to folks not wearing their perfume to church, but of course it’s not reiterated often enough. There are several people there in particular that still pour on the perfume (Etc) and I feel “bad” because I just have to avoid them, and sit on the far side of the church. I know this is one of those things one encounters in any church. I haven’t addressed it directly yet. I was in a church in Grande Prairie some time ago that actually has a “perfume free” section, but unless it’s under glass, it’s a pretty flimsy claim! On the flip-side, at least they are trying and drawing attention to the issue.
February 21, 2016 - 5:01 pm
Hi,
Southminster-Steinhauer United Church is scent -free and alot of the activities are scent free. I have a human rights complaint against my employer after my doctor and I tried to get them to go scent free. I ended up losing my job and getting another one in an office with a scent free policy. I just found this website.
February 7, 2019 - 11:32 pm
As I read through all these experiences, my heart just aches. I have literally been on the verge of death so many times due to fragrance issues. I spent a year and a half sitting in my recliner letting my body try to heal from a severe exposure to fragrance. I had to quit a job I had been with for 12 years because of this one person and her fragrances (she layered). The things I learned in my search for relief is mind boggling. My thyroid was ultimately destroyed (Hypothyroidism). I know now that it is all related to my sensitivity to fragrance. Reading about other peoples experiences I realize that I am affected in more ways than I first was aware of. I had not put becoming angry and irritated as possibly being a symptom of exposure. I am the secretary at our church, I honesty thought this would be a “safe” job. Regrettably it is not. I am a people person and love to be around people and greet with a hug. That is impossible when you have fragrance issues and people think I am stuck up or worse don’t like them. Then when they find out the truth they avoid you like the plague. But then there will be that one person who will come up to you one Sunday and tell you they did not wear any fragrance, not even deodorant, and let you know it is safe to hug them. “Safe” We as Christians should always strive to do what we can to help people not harm them. However, so many people get offended and take it personal when you tell them about fragrance sensitivity. They see it as a personal attack on them. But in reality once they know about your sensitivity to fragrance and they continue to expose you that makes them the attacker. All I can do is try to inform and pray that they understand someday and the next person that they come in contact with they will have more compassion. Thank you so much for sharing your story and information.