Are Sisters without the habit unfaithful?

[SeanJoe]

A person very close to me and who I love very much is a nun, and has been for over 40 years. Her order originally wore a full habit, but after she took final vows her order stopped wearing a habit. She is the most caring and loving person I’ve ever met, and has done so much for the poor and needy; she has totally given herself to following Christ. She is the epitome of what a Catholic should be. I’ve sensed a growing prejudice lately among devout Catholics towards nuns who don’t wear a habit. I am fully aware that there are indeed some very “liberal” orders of nuns who are not faithful to the teachings of the Church, and they do seem to be “un-habited.” But does that mean that all un-habited nuns are unfaithful? Once again, the person who I love very much is the most faithful Catholic I know. Just wondering if there is an official teaching regarding the wearing of habits, and if those who don’t wear it are doing something wrong.

 

[Fr.Vincent_Serpa]

Hi,

The habit speaks of God whether people like it or not–plain and simple. It touches people on the symbolic level without their fully realizing it. I’ve begun to wear my habit on planes, in stores, in banks instead of my collar. With the collar I could be a member of some Protestant church, but with my fifteen decade rosary hanging at my side, there is no doubt that I am Catholic. I have given blessings in air ports and even have heard Confessions. I have noticed that many non-Catholics obviously like it.

There are many good relgious sisters who obeyed and took on secular dress in place of the habit. In many ways they did not leave religious life, religious life has left them. But they are in the Lord’s hands and are most pleasing to Him. Most of these sisters belong to congregations that are shrinking month by month with very few, if any, new members.

But there are congregations of Sisters that are living the religous life as the Church has given it to them and are thriving. The Dominican Sisters of Mary, Mother of the Eucharist is one of them:

sistersofmary.org/

Fr. Vincent Serpa, O.P.