A Question on the Jesuit Cassock

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UltreiaEtSuseia

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I know that the Jesuits traditionally wore their own version of the cassock, like the ones which Sts. Ignatius, Francis Xavier, and other Jesuits are often depicted wearing in art, with the cincture and rosary beads.

My question is this: at what stage in formation would Jesuits take the cassock? Immediately upon entry as a novice? After first vows? After ordination? I can’t find any solid answer to the question.

Admittedly I’ve never seen a Jesuit wearing a cassock in the wild, but wouldn’t it be lovely to sense a religious man’s orthodoxy and orthopraxy in such a way? Too many Jesuits are content wearing Hawaiian shirts and flip flops. What happened to being a visible “sign of contradiction” for the world to see?
 
UltreiaEtSuseia said:
Admittedly I’ve never seen a Jesuit wearing a cassock in the wild, but wouldn’t it be lovely to sense a religious man’s orthodoxy and orthopraxy in such a way?
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I’ve seen Jesuits in cassocks. I imagine they wear clothes that are appropriate for whatever activity they are doing. At my college there were also many Jesuits who daily wore the black trouser suit with a collar.
 
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UltreiaEtSuseia said:
Admittedly I’ve never seen a Jesuit wearing a cassock in the wild
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I saw Fr. Mitch Pacwa wear an honest-to-goodness Jesuit cassock on EWTN ONCE. It was the real thing and he even commented on it. Haven’t seen it since, however.
 
I am in a mission with Jesuits this week. I can ask if you like.

Last night our Jesuit was telling us of the 200 km walk in the second year of the Jesuit Novitiate.

This is in Australia. The second year Novitiates are dropped 200km from their Seminary. They are to walk beck home. They are to ask for food and a bed for the night on their walk.
They take no food.

Rules are they are not to tell the person they are asking, that they are Jesuits in training, unless that person offers them a bed inside , and only after they come inside. So if they are offered a bed in the shearing shed, or winery, they are not to tell their host they are Jesuits from the seminary.

Our Jesuit said this was the only time he has ever been really hungry. He slept in abandoned farm houses, under bridges, in homes, in st vinnies , sheds. It took over a week to walk that distance and do what he was required to do on his mission.

This is something every Jesuit in training does here. I imagine it’s global.
 
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He said people were suspicious, but they, the Jesuits don’t push the point. It’s I am hungry and need a bed, can you help. Many directed him to homeless shelters.

One Parish Priest let him sleep in a guest house. He couldn’t tell the Priest he was a Jesuit because he did not get invited in for the night. After he got back to seminary, he sent a letter to the priest.

One woman had 16 coming for tea, had no idea, invited him in. He told them who he was. They had a great night. But she rang ahead to the next town. So when he walked into the next town , a lady was deliberately weeding her front yard. He asked, she offered a bed and food. And over came the 16 from the previous town, to share the meal with him.

Obviously not wearing a cassock or any indication of his aspiring calling
 
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Tis_Bearself said:
That walk sounds quite dangerous in this day and age.
Anybody know if Jesuit in USA are made to do this activity?
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It must be by order. I know quite a few jesuits–most men entered when they were older–and they most certainly did not get dropped off in the middle of nowhere.

I do know Franciscans who are not allowed to own cars who must beg for rides or walk. I’ve given a few rides. But they were traveling for a purpose, not willy-nilly.
 
I will ask if it’s a global requirement. Jesuits have quite a few requirements before becoming full fledged Jesuits.
 
Yes they do, at least in the Western US.

They are given a ticket to their starting destination and a small amount of money. I think $20 but I could be wrong. They have a set amount of time for their pilgrimage and have to make their way back to the novitiate.

The funniest experience my Jesuit friend had was one night when he was hoping to spend the night at a rectory. He couldn’t say “I’m a Jesuit on a pilgrimage and would like to stay here.” He had to phrase it more like “I’m travelling and would like to spend the night here.” The priest turned him down flat. Fortunately that night be met some college students who invited him to stay in their dorm.
 
I would be extremely leery of letting anyone, whether they said they were Jesuit or not, spend the night on my property. I’d be sending them to the homeless shelter instead, and possibly calling the police. Unfortunately, the cases where someone has tried to help by letting the traveller stay over and then been robbed, raped and/or murdered by said person in the night have ruined it for me. This has also happened to priests and nuns who tried to help. Too many violent and/ or mentally ill people on the streets for this kind of one on one help.
 
I have studied in a Jesuit college and been to several Jesuit parishes… also been to Jesuit retreat houses, Novitiate and provincialate, also studied with Jesuits and only seen less than half a dozen who would wear a cassock until noe… Most wud not… Also knew a good number of Jesuits who were living in parishes but have never had a single cassock since the time they joined. Some would not even wear the vestments while celebrating mass.
 
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Are they also forbidden to take public transit? Might be easier to beg for the couple bucks to get on a train or bus than find someone who will invite you into their car…
 
twf said:
Are they also forbidden to take public transit? Might be easier to beg for the couple bucks to get on a train or bus than find someone who will invite you into their car…
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If someone pays, they can go. But it’s preferred they get rides. Given their omnipresance in the area and their distincitive cassocs it was never any issue.
 
OK, this thread has somewhat derailed into discussion on Jesuit formation…

Can anyone give any indication as to when Jesuits in formation formally took the cassock in the past?
 
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If I’m not mistaken it was during the Novitiate period… Post the postulancy.
 
Do you wanted me to ask, this week. If so ,

What do you want me to ask 🙏🕊️
 
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UltreiaEtSuseia said:
I’ve never seen a Jesuit wearing a cassock in the wild
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Until this past July, our parish was staffed by Jesuits. I think the Jesuits gave up the cassock for polo shirts and slacks. We had one whose typical garb was t shirt, cargo shorts and Chuck Taylors.
 
“At what point during the novitiate did young Jesuits traditionally take the cassock?”
 
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