Nuns in Trousers?

[jaaraf]

I was frankly surprised when a friend came back form another part of our country and told me that one of the younger nuns running the dormitory where she stayed in regularly wore trousers.
The congregation this nun belongs to is familiar to me (I studied for 11 years in the school they run). They seldom wore their habit, but when in civilian clothes they always had skirts and blouses or dresses on until now.
I’m just wondering whether or not this is the usual thing now for some congregations in order to reach out more to the laity?
Is this a sign that they are abandoning their original charism?
(BTW, they are an active, missionary congregation)

 

[DJgang]

um…I use to work in the hospital (before I knew much about Catholics), there was one Sister who brought older Nuns to the hospital for medical care. She wore pants and sweaters.

 

[baltobetsy]

One day at daily Mass, I saw three nuns of the same order. One was in a skirt, blouse and veil. (She taught me in college and I named my daughter after her.) The next was in lightweight dress pants and a blouse with no veil. The third was in what I could only call “garden attire” - casual pants, graphic t-shirt (inoffensive) and casual sandals.

There’s a whole range of religious attire out there.

Betsy

 

[chicago]

It seems that in recent decades, sisters have often transferred their choice of dress from a unified habit to any kind of secular clothing which one deems fit. They might retain a pin or medal or some other symbol of their order to wear along with their other clothes. Really, I don’t think it matters whether she is wearing a skirt or slacks. The larger scenrio seems to be abaondonment of common garb which unites them and serves as a ready identifier or their religious state, no matter what that might be, in particular.

 

[jaaraf]

Thank you all for these clarifications!