Interesting, Odd, or "Different" Habits

[PrayForMeStJude]

In America, we tend to bring our worldliness into this discussion. We speak about the appearance of a religious habit:

Which looks better
Which is my favorite
Which is prettier
Which is more pleasing to the eye
Etc

When we go back and think about these folks, such as the early Friar Preachers (Dominicans), they did not look elegant. They did not really stand out too much. The same is true for the Friars Minor (Franciscans). Neither Francis nor Dominic were going for a specific look. They chose their way of dress according to their way of life and in accordance with the poor of the time.

The beauty of the habit is not in the cut, color, length, details, but in how the wearer looks to God.

…

Fraternally,

Br. JR, OSF

Not all orders are mendicant orders.

I specifically started this thread as a lighthearted way to discuss which habits were our “favorites” or “more pleasing to the eye.” It has nothing to do with some sort of worldy condescension towards the simple habits of the mendicant orders.

 

[Aramis]

Not all orders are mendicant orders.

I specifically started this thread as a lighthearted way to discuss which habits were our “favorites” or “more pleasing to the eye.” It has nothing to do with some sort of worldy condescension towards the simple habits of the mendicant orders.

The Dominican is hardly “simple”… any more than any of the others seen here… and they are technically mendicants.

Especially some of the older Nuns and Sisters with the full wimples…

 

[PrayForMeStJude]

The Dominican is hardly “simple”… any more than any of the others seen here… and they are technically mendicants.

Especially some of the older Nuns and Sisters with the full wimples…

I suppose that’s right. A fully decked out dominican does wear a pretty complicated habit.

I guess, when I composed this thread, I didn’t expect so many people to list habits such as the dominican or franciscan as "odd or unusual."I They are the habits of large and historic orders, and basically the archetypical image of a monk or brother for catholics and non-catholics alike.

I was hoping more people would be familiar with lesser known or newer orders with distinctive habits, such as those of the Heralds of the Gospel, which I posted at the beginning.

 

[JReducation]

Not all orders are mendicant orders.

I specifically started this thread as a lighthearted way to discuss which habits were our “favorites” or “more pleasing to the eye.” It has nothing to do with some sort of worldy condescension towards the simple habits of the mendicant orders.

The Dominican is hardly “simple”… any more than any of the others seen here… and they are technically mendicants.

Especially some of the older Nuns and Sisters with the full wimples…

The only mendicant habit that is very simple is the Franciscan habit. The other mendicant habits take their influence from the Benedictine or the Augustinian traditions. If they have a scapular, it’s Benedictine. If they have a cowl without a scapular, but with a belt, it’s Augustinian. Neither the Benedictines nor the Augustinians are mendicants. The former are monks and the latter are canons regular.

There is only two or three communities of mendicant sisters in the Church and most people don’t know this.

All other communities of sisters are not mendicants. They follow the the lifestyle of the Clerks Regular.

Clerks Regular rarely have habits. They usually have a cassock with some distinctive feature. For example, the Holy Cross Fathers and Brothers have the crucifix and the shoulder cape. The Passionists have the button. The Redemptorists have a rosary. These are all cassocks, they are not habits. In many communities they can be replaced with a clerical shirt.

The Missionaries of the Poor wear a habit, but they’re mendicants. They’re a new community of mendicants, but mendicants none the less. The Brothers of the Good Shepherd are an example of a religious community that wears a habit and is not mendicant, monastic, canons or clerks. They are lay. Also the Brothers of St. John of God wear a habit and are lay.

There are not many communities of men outside of the mendicant and monastic tradition that ever had a habit. They had symbols that the attached to the classical cassock worn by the secular clergy or they modified it a bit, as did the Christian Brothers who took off the sash worn by the French clergy. I still love that habit for its simplicity and its practicality.

Fraternally,

Br. JR, OSF

 

[JReducation]

I suppose that’s right. A fully decked out dominican does wear a pretty complicated habit.

I guess, when I composed this thread, I didn’t expect so many people to list habits such as the dominican or franciscan as "odd or unusual."I They are the habits of large and historic orders, and basically the archetypical image of a monk or brother for catholics and non-catholics alike.

I was hoping more people would be familiar with lesser known or newer orders with distinctive habits, such as those of the Heralds of the Gospel, which I posted at the beginning.

I have to admit that the outfit worn by the Heralds of the Gospel is a bit over the top. Perfectae Caritatis said that we should simplify the habits. That one is not what I would define as simple.

A really nice and very modern Franciscan habit is the one worn by the Knights of the Holy Eucharist.

View attachment 12234

I really like their habit.

Fraternally,

Br. JR, OSF

 

[PrayForMeStJude]

I have to admit that the outfit worn by the Heralds of the Gospel is a bit over the top. Perfectae Caritatis said that we should simplify the habits. That one is not what I would define as simpe

Well I think it looks noticeable and impressive. If I saw them walking down the street I would definitely stop to think about it. Heralds, after all, are supposed to get people to notice things.

But their habit is not that extravagant. Its a white robe with a brown scapular and hood, with boots underneath. As you and others were pointing out, the dominican habit has far more peices to it. So what makes this over the top? As a Franciscan I’m guessing you have a preference for simple, one-colored habits, but that doesn’t mean the heralds are wrong to have decorations on their habits. After all, the Franciscans of the Eternal Word have a decoration on the franciscan habit, albeit less noticeable.

 

[JReducation]

Well I think it looks noticeable and impressive. If I saw them walking down the street I would definitely stop to think about it. Heralds, after all, are supposed to get people to notice things.

But their habit is not that extravagant. Its a white robe with a brown scapular and hood, with boots underneath. As you and others were pointing out, the dominican habit has far more peices to it. So what makes this over the top? As a Franciscan I’m guessing you have a preference for simple, one-colored habits, but that doesn’t mean the heralds are wrong to have decorations on their habits. After all, the Franciscans of the Eternal Word have a decoration on the franciscan habit, albeit less noticeable.

I wasn’t thinking about it being like the Franciscan habit or less like it. I was thinking of what Perfectae Caritatis and Vita Consacrata have to say about habits. Both say “simple”. Their scapular and boots are not exactly what I would call simple.

The Dominican and Carmelite habits (which are really the same) have many pieces, but they are certainly very simple. When you look at them what you see is basic black and white or brown and white. The Franciscan Missionaries of the Eternal Word have a monstrance embroidered on their caperone, but it’s very discrete. The Trappists have a two-colored habit also, but it’s very plain. The Knights of the Holy Eucharist wear a badge over their scapular, but at first glance, it does not call much attention to itself. Their habit is also short. I think the fact that their wear brown jeans that match the tunic, it blends and you don’t even notice that it’s short.

My point is not about something being right or wrong. I’m coming at this from the perceptive of what the documents say about habits. Don’t take it as a statement of rightness or wrongness; because it’s not meant to be that way.

Fraternally,

Br. JR, OSF

 

[Alfonsus]

I know one conggregation which habit always attract my attention.
It is the “pink sisters”, the Holy Spirit Adoration Sisters.
For me, their choice of color is totally unique.

 

[Aramis]

I wasn’t thinking about it being like the Franciscan habit or less like it. I was thinking of what Perfectae Caritatis and Vita Consacrata have to say about habits. Both say “simple”. Their scapular and boots are not exactly what I would call simple.

The boots are likely off the shelf.

And its quite easy to applique such a simple design that large. Either by hand or with a machine.

The embroidery on several of the others is actually far less simple. (As are many Dominicans’ surplices… there is apparently a tradition of pluck-thread lacework in the WDP… And several are exquisite. But they aren’t part of the Habit. )

 

[ATeutonicKnight]

I have to admit that the outfit worn by the Heralds of the Gospel is a bit over the top. Perfectae Caritatis said that we should simplify the habits. That one is not what I would define as simple.

A really nice and very modern Franciscan habit is the one worn by the Knights of the Holy Eucharist.

View attachment 12234

I really like their habit.

Fraternally,

Br. JR, OSF

Those are awesome looking Habits!

 

[JReducation]

The boots are likely off the shelf.

And its quite easy to applique such a simple design that large. Either by hand or with a machine.

The embroidery on several of the others is actually far less simple. (As are many Dominicans’ surplices… there is apparently a tradition of pluck-thread lacework in the WDP… And several are exquisite. But they aren’t part of the Habit. )

I don’t think that the documents just mean simple to make, but simple as in plain in their appearance.

It is also important to note here that they are not religious. They are secular Catholics. And they are not a public association, but a private association. In which case, “Perfectae Caritatis” and “Vita Consacrata” do not apply to them. They don’t have to go by all the rules that the Sacred Congregation for Institutes of Consecrated Life and Societies of Apostolic Life have for the rest of us. You should see their manuals on habits. I think the one is about 350 pages. That’s the one that was in force when I entered.

They’re procedural manuals intended to help bishops and religious superiors on the issue of habits. They have manuals and documents for everything on religious life. I’m sure that if we look hard enough, there is one on how to brush your teeth.

The cardinals do not sit around discussing these things all day long. These are collections from customs, rules, constitutions and different letters and documents.

Those are awesome looking Habits!

Tuti gusti san gusti.

Fraternally,

Br. JR, OSF

 

[ATeutonicKnight]

I don’t think that the documents just mean simple to make, but simple as in plain in their appearance.

It is also important to note here that they are not religious. They are secular Catholics. And they are not a public association, but a private association. In which case, “Perfectae Caritatis” and “Vita Consacrata” do not apply to them. They don’t have to go by all the rules that the Sacred Congregation for Institutes of Consecrated Life and Societies of Apostolic Life have for the rest of us. You should see their manuals on habits. I think the one is about 350 pages. That’s the one that was in force when I entered.

They’re procedural manuals intended to help bishops and religious superiors on the issue of habits. They have manuals and documents for everything on religious life. I’m sure that if we look hard enough, there is one on how to brush your teeth.

The cardinals do not sit around discussing these things all day long. These are collections from customs, rules, constitutions and different letters and documents.

Tuti gusti san gusti.

Fraternally,

Br. JR, OSF

I don’t understand.

 

[JReducation]

I don’t understand.

It’s “To each his own” in Italian.

Fraternally,

Br. JR, OSF

 

[PrayForMeStJude]

I know one conggregation which habit always attract my attention.
It is the “pink sisters”, the Holy Spirit Adoration Sisters.
For me, their choice of color is totally unique.

Now THOSE were interesting and different! Thanks for posting, that’s exactly what I was looking for!

 

[LoyalViews]

As seen here (I’m not posting the picture because it’s large)
I’ve always liked the Irish Christian Brother’s form of cassock. I don’t know if it’s a habit or not, maybe Br J will

These days, most of the ICB’s here just wear clerics, only a full-band white collar rather than the tab.

 

[JReducation]

As seen here (I’m not posting the picture because it’s large)
I’ve always liked the Irish Christian Brother’s form of cassock. I don’t know if it’s a habit or not, maybe Br J will

These days, most of the ICB’s here just wear clerics, only a full-band white collar rather than the tab.

It’s a cassock with a square rabbat. This kind of collar was very common among Catholic secular clergy in Europe, until we adopted the collar from the Church of Scotland and made it our own.

The brothers can wear either the solid white collar or the tab, because of their European origins. The solid white collar is more often worn by the Church of England and the American Episcopal Church.

For a while, it was mandatory for American Catholic priests and brothers too, when the Catholic Church forbade the use of habits and cassocks outside of Church property in 1852. That ruling was later found illegal and was reduced only for secular priests. The Council of Trent has ruled that only the pope could give orders to religious men, be they priests or brothers. Bishops and laymen who interfered or even tried to persuade religious men, without being asked by them, were to be penalized by the Church for overstepping their bounds.

After that, the collar became the staple for secular clergy, while religious continued to wear the habit, until the early 1900s when the Conference of Major Superiors for the USA decided that the religious would also wear the collar while in public, so as not to stand out from the Protestant clergy. Many of the European brothers and clergy adopted the solid white band collar. The square collar was not as common in the USA. It seemed to catch on in the UK, Italy and Spain more quickly than the Americas. In Italy, it became so popular that it got the name, Roman Collar. But it’s origins are really Scot, not Roman.

Fraternally,

Br. JR, OSF

 

[jm0rr0w]

I don’t know about odd or different but my habit is interesting and meaningful to me. It was presented to me last Sunday the Solemnity of Christ the King by my fraternity in the Rite of Admission as I enter Candidacy.

 

[JReducation]

I don’t know about odd or different but my habit is interesting and meaningful to me. It was presented to me last Sunday the Solemnity of Christ the King by my fraternity in the Rite of Admission as I enter Candidacy.

Welcome to the family. :grouphug:

Fraternally,

Br. JR, OSF :christmastree1:

 

[goforgoal]

A cloistered man or woman is one who has been granted a very special favor by God, which he grants to very few souls. He calls them to live in total intimacy with him alone. Their life is spent in prayer, work and a few community activities to maintain the mental health. But they are really victims on the patten along with Christ. God asks for their entire existence, 24/7, without any other love or activity between him and them. In reality, he asks them to live in heaven, before they get there. The live in the intimacy that only the angels and saints in heaven know, but they anticipate it here on earth.

This call is given only to a few souls, that is why there are so few nuns and monks. The Church recognizes their vows as solemn, meaning that they are not just vows to live chastity, poverty and obedience, as we regular religious do. But they are to live these vows alone with God as their only source of consolation, inspiration and support.

The rest of us religious have the benefit of a fraternal life in community, an interactive life with the lay faithful who can inspire us, and an apostolic life of service that motivates us to keep going. These enclosed religious do not have any of this. It’s them and God. It’s an incredible gift.

Fraternally,

Br. JR, OSF

My apologize to the OP I don’t mean to hijack your thread as I know it is about “habits”

Bro. JR, OSF, Even though this response was intended for someone else I wanted to sincerely thank you for this great reminder it means a lot to me.

When I was first discerning I had the opportunity to visit the “Sisters of the Child Jesus” (I am still blessed to be in contact with them and they are my friends). They explained to me that the Foundress, Servant of God Anne-Marie Martel didn’t even realize that she started a Religious Order.

members.shaw.ca/gmlamy/a_foundress/index.html

 

[Smugleaf]

I find the habits of the Sisters of Our Lady of Mercy to be beautiful, and I think they are charming to see as nowadays most nuns’ habits are very simple.

http://www.swfaustyna.pl/uploads/images/IMG_0040.JPG

My mum has a fondness for the Sisters of The Holy Family of Nazareth’s old habit:



Personally, I find the new one to be lovely and simple, but I see where she’s coming from