For These Young Nuns, Habits Are the New Radical

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For the most part, these are grim days for Catholic nuns. Convents are closing, nuns are aging and there are relatively few new recruits. But something startling is happening in Nashville, Tenn. The Dominican Sisters of St. Cecilia are seeing a boom in new young sisters: Twenty-seven joined this year and 90 entered over the past five years.

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I have a first cousin who belongs to that group. Those orders who are faithful to their charism and way of life are flourishing. Those orders who have chucked the habit and become worldly, are dying out. It’s easy to see. When my cousin took her final vows, two of the nuns from her grade school and high school (different order) attended. The “younger” (50’s) of the two didn’t have a habit on, but wore a business suit type outfit with a tiny cross. When she saw the 150 or so Dominican nuns in full habit, all glowing with happiness and holiness, she broke down and cried. She realized what her order was missing. The older nun (late 60’s?) had on he habit, which had been “modernized” although it still had the head covering, wasn’t nearly as affected. She understood, though.
 
I went to public school and in the 70’s/80’s it was toward the end of sisters teaching in my Catholic elementary school. So, I had very little contact with nuns.

In the parish I attend now, we have a Carmelite sister who wears a habit. I absolutely love being able to identify her wherever she is in a crowd. And, I feel drawn to search her out and see what she has going on.
 
I have a good friend from college who is in her first year with the Sisters in Nashville, and know many other young ladies who have joined other orders with more traditional habits.

One of the most beautiful things I’ve ever heard about habits came from a young Franciscan Sister who I was traveling with to the March for Life a few years ago. She was speaking about her vocation on our bus trip down to the group of students we were taking to the March. She gently touched the edge of her gray, woolen robe, not “stylish” at all by modern standards, and told the students how happy she was to be able to wear her wedding dress each day of her life, to celebrate her marriage to our Lord. I always knew that habits were beautiful, and she was able to articulate why!
 
I know some religious sisters who’ve told me that they were glad to be out of the habit and in more secular clothing because it made them more approachable to lay people, not only non-Catholics but also Catholics, many of whom had difficult experiences with nuns as grade-school students. They believe that their vocation and witness required them to lay aside their habits. It isn’t a simple story of faithful, truly Catholic religious women versus worldly, heterodox, Catholic-in-name-only religous women. I realize that no one has made this bright-line distinction, but some discussions tend in that direction.
 
Alan55 said:
I know some religious sisters who’ve told me that they were glad to be out of the habit and in more secular clothing because it made them more approachable to lay people, not only non-Catholics but also Catholics, many of whom had difficult experiences with nuns as grade-school students. They believe that their vocation and witness required them to lay aside their habits. It isn’t a simple story of faithful, truly Catholic religious women versus worldly, heterodox, Catholic-in-name-only religous women. I realize that no one has made this bright-line distinction, but some discussions tend in that direction.
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Alan, that’s interesting that they told you that. My question to them would have been why would someone know to approach them if they didn’t have distinctive habits on? What would tell someone, just looking at them, that they were in the world, but not of the world, and that they had totally given their lives to Christ? And what would separate them from any good lay Catholic in anyone’s mind, just by looking? I wouldn’t be mean about it, but I would ask, humbly. I don’t think they could answer that well.

My daughter used to go to an all-girls Catholic school back home. Then, they got into financial trouble and asked my uncle, who was on the diocesan school board to come to a meeting and maybe make suggestions. He politely pointed out that much of their financial trouble was because in the “good old days” when the school was flourishing, all the teachers were nuns who took the vow of poverty. So the school’s overhead was very low, compared to now when you had to hire lay teachers and pay them a somewhat competitive wage. They agreed, and said, “But, we’re not getting vocations any longer.” He again pointed out, that while that was true, there was a reason for it. He said, “Well, what are you offering the children who could become nuns? You’ve taken off your habits and look like any lay person. How are you giving them the example that you are no longer in the world and giving yourselves totally to Christ?” They got mad and asked him to leave, which he did. They closed the school, and on the 6:00 news, it was so telling! They showed film of when the school was flourishing and you had many nuns (20+?), all in full habit. Then, they showed the school currently, and there were at most five or six nuns, all in street clothes.
 
Daughters of Mary, Mother of Israel’s Hope is a new order founded by Sr Rosalind Moss in St. Louis, MO.

She is a convert. Was raised Jewish and then converted to Fundamental Christian, then as she states “saw the light and came home to the Catholic Church.” She is doing such wonderful things.

God Bless Sr Rosalind and her Sisters.

:gopray2:
 
Scoobyshme said:
Alan, that’s interesting that they told you that. My question to them would have been why would someone know to approach them if they didn’t have distinctive habits on? What would tell someone, just looking at them, that they were in the world, but not of the world, and that they had totally given their lives to Christ? And what would separate them from any good lay Catholic in anyone’s mind, just by looking? I wouldn’t be mean about it, but I would ask, humbly. I don’t think they could answer that well.

My daughter used to go to an all-girls Catholic school back home. Then, they got into financial trouble and asked my uncle, who was on the diocesan school board to come to a meeting and maybe make suggestions. He politely pointed out that much of their financial trouble was because in the “good old days” when the school was flourishing, all the teachers were nuns who took the vow of poverty. So the school’s overhead was very low, compared to now when you had to hire lay teachers and pay them a somewhat competitive wage. They agreed, and said, “But, we’re not getting vocations any longer.” He again pointed out, that while that was true, there was a reason for it. He said, “Well, what are you offering the children who could become nuns? You’ve taken off your habits and look like any lay person. How are you giving them the example that you are no longer in the world and giving yourselves totally to Christ?” They got mad and asked him to leave, which he did. They closed the school, and on the 6:00 news, it was so telling! They showed film of when the school was flourishing and you had many nuns (20+?), all in full habit. Then, they showed the school currently, and there were at most five or six nuns, all in street clothes.
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Why would anyone want to be a teacher or social worker in bad clothes, without a family, no sex, in an organization that hates its leadership and is embarrassed by Church history, doctrine, structure and orthodoxy. The only people who can’t see the problem are the sisters, brothers and priests who have consistently made the wrong choices for 45 years and now can’t admit it.
 
Scoobyshme said:
Alan, that’s interesting that they told you that. My question to them would have been why would someone know to approach them if they didn’t have distinctive habits on? What would tell someone, just looking at them, that they were in the world, but not of the world, and that they had totally given their lives to Christ? And what would separate them from any good lay Catholic in anyone’s mind, just by looking? I wouldn’t be mean about it, but I would ask, humbly. I don’t think they could answer that well…
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When I first started taking my Dad to Mass, I hadn’t reverted, so I was just sitting in the pews and absorbing… We’d come early, my Dad’s in a wheelchair, and I’d always see this nicely dress woman attending to the lights, music, opening locked doors, etc.

Another year passed and Father announced that one of the Sisters was transferring to the another state and he asked her to stand. It was the lady I’d always seen attending to matters prior to Mass. I had no idea she was a consecrated religious and I felt cheated by not having known that.

How exactly was I ever to have known that?
 
There was a time when I was discerning a call to the religious life as a nun. I still remember that I strongly leaned toward orders that had a full habit.
 
I am very glad to see habits returning. I think it is very wise 🙂
 
johnnykins said:
Why would anyone want to be a teacher or social worker in bad clothes, without a family, no sex, in an organization that hates its leadership and is embarrassed by Church history, doctrine, structure and orthodoxy. The only people who can’t see the problem are the sisters, brothers and priests who have consistently made the wrong choices for 45 years and now can’t admit it.
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I am so sorry you see it that way
 
Holly3278 said:
There was a time when I was discerning a call to the religious life as a nun. I still remember that I strongly leaned toward orders that had a full habit.
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I agree, I am so happy to see this movement!
 
The problem is two fold. The “habit” represented the order and religious vow. It identified her as set apart for lifelong service to the Church and God. The “habit” did not necessarily indicate a true vocation. This is the origin of the “mean nun” stereotype. In the past, women had few career options. This was especially true for middle and upper-class women. A woman either married or remained single; relying on family for lifelong support. One of the few options for an unmarried woman was religious life. Some of those women had a true calling, but MANY became religious out of desperation. They were often bitter and angry! Vatican II made the habit optional, but losing a habit cannot destroy a true vocation! A true vocation to Christ will continue, despite cultural changes. The habit imparted the appearance of holiness to all wearing it; masking true intent. It’s very similar to abusive priests hiding behind clerics. It’s akin to “white washed” tombs! Beware of wolves in sheep’s clothing!

:nun2:
 
jilly4ski said:
My college roommate and good friend joined the Sisters of life. Here you can see her and her fellow sisters who took their first vows together, under profession 2010. sistersoflife.org/latest-news-2
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Sisters of Life is a great order.
Dominican Sisters of Mary Mother of the Eucharist in Ann Arbor is another thriving order. They also wear a traditional habit and they have grown to over 100 nuns in 13 years.

Here are some pictures of my daughter’s first vows:
sistersofmary.org/index.php?option=com_content&view=article&id=233:first-profession-2010&catid=32:slide-shows&Itemid=429
 
Scoobyshme said:
Alan, that’s interesting that they told you that. My question to them would have been why would someone know to approach them if they didn’t have distinctive habits on? What would tell someone, just looking at them, that they were in the world, but not of the world, and that they had totally given their lives to Christ? And what would separate them from any good lay Catholic in anyone’s mind, just by looking? I wouldn’t be mean about it, but I would ask, humbly. I don’t think they could answer that well.
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The religious women I’m referring to – and there were several – made no secret of the fact that they were religious. They were outgoing, happy women who were eager to tell people who they were and what they stood for. Their classmates, friends, the people for whom they ministered, could see that it was not the religous dress that set them apart, but rather their commitment to Christ and to the vowed following of Christ. That is, ordinary women who looked pretty much like you and me were making extraordinary commitments to the service of Christ in the Church. That’s a pretty powerful witness in my view.

As for the orders that are growing and those that are not, joining an existing congregation rather than a newly formed one means joining an impoverished, aging group of women many of whom are sick, unable to minister, and dependent on younger, working sisters for most of their financial support. That’s a pretty unattractive proposition for most young women. As a result, my guess that the newly formed congregations are growing the fastest not only because of their conservative theology and habits but because they are not burdened with the care of many aging women by a few younger women who earn the money but don’t yet make the decisions. I’d be happy to be convinced otherwise. .
 
johnnykins said:
Why would anyone want to be a teacher or social worker in bad clothes, without a family, no sex, in an organization that hates its leadership and is embarrassed by Church history, doctrine, structure and orthodoxy. The only people who can’t see the problem are the sisters, brothers and priests who have consistently made the wrong choices for 45 years and now can’t admit it.
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You’re inventing a lifestyle that is unrecognizable to most religious women. Most religious orders of women are active, not contemplative. Active religous orders, whether they wear habits or not, care for the young, the sick, the abandoned and they always have. You can call them teachers or social workers, but they are committed to the Christ and to the gospel. Some have been active in seeking change not only in society but also in the Church. You seem to think that anyone who does so is heterodox and opposed to the Church, but most of the religious women I know are deeply, deeply committed to the Church and to Christ. Frankly, that’s the central meaning of their lives. For why else would they remain vowed and work with those no one else wants to serve? They built schools and hospitals, ran universities, staffed soup kitchens, shelters, and other services for unwed or abused mothers, street people, the handicapped, all in the name of Christ. Sounds like the Lord’s work to me.

You recall, don’t you, that religious like Francis, Ignatius, Teresa of Avila and many others were constantly opposed by priests and bishops who found their brand of Christianity too challenging? A lot of religous women in the U.S. have been used and abused by their bishops and have managed to survive and thrive despite Church leadership, not because of it.
 
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