For These Young Nuns, Habits Are the New Radical

[johnnykins]

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.

Actually, I think the heterodox are heterodox. I’ve personally known many vowed religious who most certainly are heterodox. I’ve known many vowed religious, too, who are orthodox. My point is that the vowed religious life separated from orthodoxy is nothing more than social work (teaching, nursing whatever) in bad clothes without sex or a family. As for vowed religious who hate the Church, try reading National Catholic Reporter if you don’t personally know any. You ask why they stay? I frankly do not know. Cowardice or a reluctance to admit their abject failure in transmitting their charism is my guess. (Again, what sort of charism do they have? A bitter, ill dressed lifestyle that they fail to animate through orthodoxy) It’s clear they are attracting no one to their life style. As to what’s been done, consider what’s been squandered over the last 45 years. Like it or not, they fail to see that the choices and persons who have run these orders over the last 45 years have substantially destroyed what was built by their orthodox forebears. That, my friend, is the fact. Your use of the past tense tells it all.

 

[Alan55]

Actually, I think the heterodox are heterodox. I’ve personally known many vowed religious who most certainly are heterodox. I’ve known many vowed religious, too, who are orthodox. My point is that the vowed religious life separated from orthodoxy is nothing more than social work (teaching, nursing whatever) in bad clothes without sex or a family. As for vowed religious who hate the Church, try reading National Catholic Reporter if you don’t personally know any. You ask why they stay? I frankly do not know. Cowardice or a reluctance to admit their abject failure in transmitting their charism is my guess. (Again, what sort of charism do they have? A bitter, ill dressed lifestyle that they fail to animate through orthodoxy) It’s clear they are attracting no one to their life style. As to what’s been done, consider what’s been squandered over the last 45 years. Like it or not, they fail to see that the choices and persons who have run these orders over the last 45 years have substantially destroyed what was built by their orthodox forebears. That, my friend, is the fact. Your use of the past tense tells it all.

Well, I’m glad we’re still friends. I too know some heterodox religious women. However, you tarred with a broad brush and implied (to me, at least) that all religious women who do not wear habits are heterodox. Since we’re clear that some are and some aren’t, I think we’re in basic agreement. If they are heterodox and still remain members of their religious orders, then it is certainly reasonable to question why. Mind you, my view of what is orthodox is likely to be broader than yours, but with all the caveats mentioned above, I think we’ve nailed down both sides of this debate.

 

[Tigg]

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

How blessed you are! We donate regularily to this order and their brochure states they have a “crisis” of a different kind. So many novices and not enough room or resources for them all.

 

[Tigg]

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. .

Within our respective circles, then, we have seen a very different picture. You cannot deny that for many, their call to the gospel is their own interpretation based upon a radical feminist movement and liberation theology. Now we have religious escorting women into abortion clinics and ministering to homosexuals without benefit of evangelizing them with the Truth of Christ. Some call themselves “Masters of Reiki” and dabble in all manner of New Age philosophies. They blatently disobey their superiors. That is why they are being investigated.

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

I’m not saying we don’t have some dedicated religious, but I would certainly not put these great saints in the same company with some of the modernist religious. Yes, they faced much opposition from the churchmen, but never were they reprimanded for being outside the boundaries of Church teaching. Their very hallmark was truth, humility, faithfulness and obedience.

I once was taught by a nun who had a profound affect upon me. She often said, “the outer appearance is indicative of the inner disposition.” Perhaps that can be applied to the habits of these new and inspiring young nuns. Seems to me to be a return to authenticity, certainly not just in dress, but interiorly with the practice of virtue and mortification; with devotions and an honest attempt at placing God first in ones life through denial of self.

 

[JohnMPhilomena]

How blessed you are! We donate regularily to this order and their brochure states they have a “crisis” of a different kind. So many novices and not enough room or resources for them all.

Yes - what a problem to have. They just finished a new addition (Phase 3) last year and it’s full already. But through people like you and me, the Lord will provide.

They are a teaching order, but they are also contemplative. They spend much of their day in silence and in prayer, but they also have fun recreation periods. And wow are they competitive - but always in a fun charitable way. They are all so amazing. It’s hard to describe.

My family and I will make the 9 hour drive to visit next weekend. (we get 4 visiting days this year). We get letters from her twice a month, except during advent and lent (boy are they long!). It’s a huge sacrifice for our family having to give her up to God. We miss her terribly. But instead of losing a daughter, I have gained 100. Imagine 100 pure souls praying for your family (and we need every one!).

Peace,
John

 

[Tigg]

It’s a huge sacrifice for our family having to give her up to God. We miss her terribly. But instead of losing a daughter, I have gained 100. Imagine 100 pure souls praying for your family (and we need every one!).

Peace,
John

Absolutely awesome! I am so grateful to the Lord for raising up souls like these.

 

[barb_finnegan]

I’m not married, so no kids; but I am happy to know and to read about these young and flourishing communities! I sure wish they’d send some of them up here in the liberal Northeast!

I know someone who is a member of our local Perpetual Adoration chapel; he has a daughter who was an adorer before she joined the Nashville Dominicans in 2009. In August 2010 she received her novice’s habit and veil. I asked her father last week how she was doing, and he said she was doing great. He was going down to visit her for Christmas, so I didn’t see him at his usual adoration hour this week.

I also get mailings from the Ann Arbor Dominicans-don’t know how I got on their mailing list. It’s wonderful to see how fast they’ve grown! But it also makes me depressed, because they only take the young ones…no ‘older women need apply’. (I’m 56 years old)

 

[Sarahforgiven]

This is quite an interesting discussion. Why is it that no one is interested in what monks are wearing (& yes I realize
this thread is about women religious).

 

[JohnMPhilomena]

I’m not married, so no kids; but I am happy to know and to read about these young and flourishing communities! I sure wish they’d send some of them up here in the liberal Northeast!

I know someone who is a member of our local Perpetual Adoration chapel; he has a daughter who was an adorer before she joined the Nashville Dominicans in 2009. In August 2010 she received her novice’s habit and veil. I asked her father last week how she was doing, and he said she was doing great. He was going down to visit her for Christmas, so I didn’t see him at his usual adoration hour this week.

I also get mailings from the Ann Arbor Dominicans-don’t know how I got on their mailing list. It’s wonderful to see how fast they’ve grown! But it also makes me depressed, because they only take the young ones…no ‘older women need apply’. (I’m 56 years old)

By the way, I think the Sisters of Life is in the heart of the liberal northeast - New York city.

I didn’t realize the Dominican Sisters of Mary Mother of the Eucharist had an age restriction - sorry about that. I’ll talk to Mother Assumpta about that next week when I’m there and see why that is.

Maybe you could become a third order Dominican. My wife is considering that.

Peace,
John

 

[Timothy17]

Habits redeem people in the eyes of their fellow men and women. To break with the world and fully commit yourself to the service of others - putting aside wordly honours and gains - is utterly redeeming of mankind. Habits are a visible contradiction to the world’s seeming hegemony, and shows how false and coercive that hegemony ultimately, and truly, is.

Pax,
Tim

 

[Eddie_Joe]

I have to say that the wearing of the traditional Nuns Habit sends a powerful message of witnessing to God’s presence in the world. I belong to a Fransican Parish and when I see the Friars dressed in their habits out in town I thank God for their committment

 

[JohnMPhilomena]

I have to say that the wearing of the traditional Nuns Habit sends a powerful message of witnessing to God’s presence in the world. I belong to a Fransican Parish and when I see the Friars dressed in their habits out in town I thank God for their committment

Yes, the nuns all have great stories about when they go out in public with their habits. My daughter said that a lady approached her in the airport and told her she had asked for a sign from God after the loss of a loved one, and then she ran into my daughter. So she asked her to pray for her loved one. Their last mailing had many such stories, unfortunately I didn’t save a copy and can’t remember any of the stories, but they were very funny.

I keep hoping I will run into one of them when I’m in the Detroit airport, but so far, I have not been that lucky.

Suffice it to say, I have an enhanced respect for priests and nuns when I see them in public and I always want to go up and talk to them. I consider it an honor whenever I can have our priest over to dinner. My love and respect for our priest has grown greatly over the last couple years and I always listen intently during the sermons. Today he gave prayer cards, incense and instructions for the blessing of the home. So with my wife and two of my daughters, we blessed the house and then sprinkled each room with Holy water.

I wish I hadn’t spent most of my life blind to the faith, and I hope it’s not too late to pass this on to my children.

Sorry, - this post got a little off topic.

Peace,
John

 

[Tigg]

I wish I hadn’t spent most of my life blind to the faith, and I hope it’s not too late to pass this on to my children.

Peace,
John

I don’t think you have anything to worry about…sounds to me like you’ve already passed along a precious treasure.

 

[manualman]

Alan55, you have an interesting perspective. But I see rather a glaring flaw in your reasoning. If these young, flourishing, faithful orders are only doing so because of the absence of the burden of aged sisters and legacy financial problems, why are they all so emphatically orthodox? Can you locate for me a flourishing new order of young “progressive, independent thinker” nuns? I doubt it.

The issue here really isn’t the habit. The habit is merely clothing. The REAL issue is the one underlying the habit. The old orders that are dying off got radicalized in the 60’s and adopted a “We’re going to change the world because WE have the truth” attitude. They dumped the habit (and a LOT of more important features of religious life) because it was a legacy of the days when religious life was first about submitting ONESELF to be transformed and renewed FIRST by God’s Grace.

If returning to the habit is your goal, it will be a hollow one. If returning to the habit is just one minor manifestation of returning to the worldview that EACH of us needs to be utterly remade, sanctified by God and we are willing to submit ourselves to Him to be remade in His image, to be repaired of all the damage we’ve done to ourselves and others through sin… THAT is (IMO) the feature that separates flourishing orders from dying ones. If wearing the habit is done to the end of making that statement, expect great things from these women.

Much ado has been made about a crisis in priestly vocations in recent years. As our spiritual fathers, a shortage is indeed a crisis. But religious sisters had always previously been the spiritual mothers in the local churches. Their disappearance IMO warrants even greater alarm than the comparatively minor shortage of priests.

 

[Springkeeper]

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.

I think that is an excellent point. I used to volunteer as a playground aide at a Catholic elementary school in upstate NY (in 1984) and the Sisters all wore full habits. I was agnostic then and was quite intrigued by them. Conversely, a few years later I ran into an obnoxious, highly annoying, liberal woman in Boston and said some rather unkind things to her and my Sister-in-Law was aghast and told me she was a nun. I was stunned and asked why she was dressed just like everyone else. I was told it made her more approachable. I said “Approachable is not the word I would use to describe her.”

 

[barb_finnegan]

By the way, I think the Sisters of Life is in the heart of the liberal northeast - New York city.

I didn’t realize the Dominican Sisters of Mary Mother of the Eucharist had an age restriction - sorry about that. I’ll talk to Mother Assumpta about that next week when I’m there and see why that is.

Maybe you could become a third order Dominican. My wife is considering that.

Peace,
John

I’m in Upstate NY-and you’ll never see any ‘habit-wearing’ nuns here! All we have are the tired old communities that are dying out; and I won’t touch them with a ten-foot pole!

I knew someone who once considered the Sisters of Life. A couple of the Sisters came upstate to my hometown to talk about their community in one of the parishes and at the one Catholic high school. My friend didn’t enter in the end (for some reason the community ‘stonewalled’ her-I think it was due to her age and some health problems). She went to the Intercessors of the Lamb in Nebraska. She took her final vows in 2006. (And of course, we all know what happened to THAT community!) She is currently with the largest group of ex-Intercessors in Blair, Nebraska.

I’d appreciate it, John, if you could ask Mother Assumpta why ‘older’ women are not accepted in the Ann Arbor Dominicans. I’d be curious to know…

‘Third Orders’ for me? Nah-I was in two in succession, the Franciscans, then the Discalced Carmelites. In the end neither worked out for me. I did visit a group of Third Order Dominicans in 2002 with another friend who was looking into them. They met at a cloistered Dominican nuns’ monastery. He didn’t join them, either. I’m not too keen on ‘formal groups’-I always end up being disappointed.

 

[Alan55]

Alan55, you have an interesting perspective. But I see rather a glaring flaw in your reasoning. If these young, flourishing, faithful orders are only doing so because of the absence of the burden of aged sisters and legacy financial problems, why are they all so emphatically orthodox? Can you locate for me a flourishing new order of young “progressive, independent thinker” nuns? I doubt it.

The issue here really isn’t the habit. The habit is merely clothing. The REAL issue is the one underlying the habit. The old orders that are dying off got radicalized in the 60’s and adopted a “We’re going to change the world because WE have the truth” attitude. They dumped the habit (and a LOT of more important features of religious life) because it was a legacy of the days when religious life was first about submitting ONESELF to be transformed and renewed FIRST by God’s Grace.

I’m not arguing that only reason that traditionalist congregations are flourishing is an absence of aged sisters or debt. It is one possible reason that newer congregations are more attractive to young women. Note that there are lots of “emphatically orthodox” congregations that are not attracting enough new vocations to sustain them. There must be more to this trend than submission to the hierarchy and theological orthodoxy. That’s my point.

Nor am I against habits. They are especially appropriate for contemplative religious orders.

What I do object to is the notion that religous who don’t wear habits are somehow heterodox or are being punished by God with dwindling numbers because they are too “liberal.” Worse, you accuse religious who don’t wear a habit of failing to be transformed and renewed by God’s grace, which is very unfair and judgmental. Like I said, there are some religious who no longer wear habits who are heterodox. However, there are many who don’t wear habits who are alive with faith, even saintly. Moreover, there are religous who are outwardly orthodox, who wear conservative religious garb, but who are deep in sin and far from God.

Things are not nearly as black and white as many posting to this thread would have it.

 

[johnnykins]

I’m not arguing that only reason that traditionalist congregations are flourishing is an absence of aged sisters or debt. It is one possible reason that newer congregations are more attractive to young women. Note that there are lots of “emphatically orthodox” congregations that are not attracting enough new vocations to sustain them.

care to name any since there are “lots?”

There must be more to this trend than submission to the hierarchy and theological orthodoxy. That’s my point.

Really? I suggest that it the single most important and consistent trend that is obvious to all but those who refuse to see the failures of the last 45 years. Without orthodoxy I submit it is empirically indisputable that an order will wither. The reason is so obvious - NO ONE will give up money, family, sex, independence, etc., to join a group that rejects the tenets of its overarching organization. Not hard to figure this one out - except by the orders who having rejected orthodoxy can’t admit their abject failure and destruction of what their orthodox forebears created.

Nor am I against habits. They are especially appropriate for contemplative religious orders.

The habits themselves are simply a measure of what has been tossed out. It’s not the habits that make an order orthodox, but orthodox orders wear habits. Again, name one non-habited order that is growing. Just 1.

What I do object to is the notion that religous who don’t wear habits are somehow heterodox or are being punished by God with dwindling numbers because they are too “liberal.”

Unfortunately, that is the empirical evidence.

Worse, you accuse religious who don’t wear a habit of failing to be transformed and renewed by God’s grace, which is very unfair and judgmental.

Again, empirically, for the order, I think it’s a fair accusation though admittedly individuals may differ.

Like I said, there are some religious who no longer wear habits who are heterodox. However, there are many who don’t wear habits who are alive with faith, even saintly.

You bop back and forth between orders and individuals.

Moreover, there are religous who are outwardly orthodox, who wear conservative religious garb, but who are deep in sin and far from God.

Again, you conflate individuals with orders.

Look, Non-habited orders are dying out. Habited orders are the only orders growing. That’s the point. When you talk of individuals, you muddy the waters with no greater point than individuals are all different. Duh! What’s clear is that without orthodoxy, vowed religious life is a sham and possible recruits know it.

Things are not nearly as black and white as many posting to this thread would have it.

Alan, name one order that is growing that does not wear the habit. Just 1.

 

[manualman]

What I do object to is the notion that religous who don’t wear habits are somehow heterodox or are being punished by God with dwindling numbers because they are too “liberal.” Worse, you accuse religious who don’t wear a habit of failing to be transformed and renewed by God’s grace, which is very unfair and judgmental. Like I said, there are some religious who no longer wear habits who are heterodox. However, there are many who don’t wear habits who are alive with faith, even saintly. Moreover, there are religous who are outwardly orthodox, who wear conservative religious garb, but who are deep in sin and far from God.

Generalizations by definition have a myriad of exceptions. I’m sure that one COULD make a LONG list of individual nuns and sisters from non-habited orders that genuinely and sincerely are seeking God and desiring to be remade in His image through Grace. But at the organizational level, the orders that discarded any sort of religious garb did so largely because it was a physical manifestation of what ELSE they had decided to discard.

I’m not a habit snob. I see no superiority of an ornate and high maintenance habit compared to the simple sari adopted by Mother Theresa. But I DO think that the rejection of the idea of habit IS (organizationally) a rejection of more than just a clothing style. It was usually done as a statement.

Again, I AGREE that a flowing black and white robe with headpiece does not make a woman holy (nor does a black shirt and pants with a funny white plastic piece at the throat do so for a man). But I do sincerely wonder at the motivations behind those who decided to make a radical break with their holy founders.

 

[LaFleurDeLis]

I have to say that the wearing of the traditional Nuns Habit sends a powerful message of witnessing to God’s presence in the world. I belong to a Fransican Parish and when I see the Friars dressed in their habits out in town I thank God for their committment

Just a few weeks ago my parish had a few nuns visiting from a Fransciscan order. They were dressed in all white habits. When one of the sisters was speaking at the alter, I started having some difficulty seeing. It was as if the sun was shinning strongly throughout the church. When I looked away from her, it went away. When I looked back to her, the same thing happend. I have no explanation as to why this happend, I just feel that God was letting me know how amazing she really was. I’ll never forget that.