I can’t attend church in the traditional manner, sitting in the chapel attending my Sunday meetings. My former Bishop was very thoughtful and came up with this suggestion. I use one of the ward hearing impaired receivers so I can listen to sacrament meeting just outside the building. We also made the arrangement for the Aaronic priesthood to meet me at a tree just outside our building so I can partake of the sacrament each Sunday. When it’s cold I sit in my car and bundle up in my mountaineering gear. I pull out my lawn chair in the summer months and sit underneath a tree. My family joins me for outside church several times a year.
I realize this may not be suitable for everyone but it works for me. If I can camp in zero degree weather and hike in 100 degree heat, why not sit outside and listen to sacrament meeting
When I was first diagnosed with MCS my doctor suggested wearing a full face mask when I went into the church building. The only problem with that, other than frightening every little kid in the building was my MCS issues were causing minor anaphylactic reactions. After consulting with my doctor I learned that continued exposure only increased the ill effects of MCS.
When I tell people I’m sensitive to perfumes/colognes most people say, I only wear a little but you get a chapel full of people wearing a little perfume/cologne and it’s overwhelming for someone with MCS. What I learned through research was most people with MCS can be sensitive to an irritant as small as one part per million or even one part per billion.
I realize there will always be someone who does not understand MCS and makes a stupid comment like, “so your allergic to church” or “maybe the Lord’s trying to tell you something.” I know I can’t go in a ward building because of the overwhelming perfume/cologne odor, so I attend church in a manner that I can. My Bishop talked with the stake leadership about making our ward building a scent free building but all three wards would have to comply and the stake did not want to pursue that request.
