Wearing the Cassock as a Seminarian?

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My Priority is to serve:
  1. CHRIST
  2. HIS Church
HIS people

the spiritually dead

the poor

the sick

the dying

The Cassock is not a priority for me. Sure they look cool, but honestly, I want to be a Priest, not a cassock wearer. I want to serve CHRIST and HIS Church, in polos and slacks or in a cassock I dont care. I just dont like people telling me what my priorities are when they arent me. I have dialouged very extensivley with the Vocations Director of the Archdiocese of Detroit. He agree with me. He feels very strongly that I am called to be a Priest. Diocescan or Religious is a matter I will have to continue discerning, but otherwise… THE Vocation Director has spoken…
 
My Priority is to serve:
  1. CHRIST
  2. HIS Church
HIS people

the spiritually dead

the poor

the sick

the dying

The Cassock is not a priority for me. Sure they look cool, but honestly, I want to be a Priest, not a cassock wearer. I want to serve CHRIST and HIS Church, in polos and slacks or in a cassock I dont care. I just dont like people telling me what my priorities are when they arent me. I have dialouged very extensivley with the Vocations Director of the Archdiocese of Detroit. He agree with me. He feels very strongly that I am called to be a Priest. Diocescan or Religious is a matter I will have to continue discerning, but otherwise… THE Vocation Director has spoken…
The red is mine. You may be misunderstanding the role of the Vocation Director. His role is to help a person discern weather to try or not. To say that the Vocation Director has spoken, makes it sound that he has said that you have a vocation.

No Vocation Director has the authority to say that. There are only two people who have the authority to make this statement and neither of them is the candidate or the Vocation Director.
  1. If the candidate is asking for Holy Orders for a diocese, it is the bishop who calls the candidate to Orders. Only the bishop can say, with certainty that the candidate has a vocation to Holy Orders.
  2. If the candidate is asking for Holy Orders and he is a religious, only his brothers can say that he has a vocation to Orders.
In both cases, there are Vocation Directors and the term speaks for itself. They direct the person discerning the vocation. They do not confirm the vocation. Only a bishop or a religious community have that power. In order to confirm the person’s vocation, the one doing the confirming must have the authority from Christ to do so. Only bishops and religious superiors have that authority. Religious superiors are governed by their brothers on these matters.

It’s important to have this clear so as not to get too confident. One is not sure if one has a vocation until Christ speaks. As I always say, that won’t be until six days after you’re dead.

Fraternally,

Br. JR, FFV 🙂
 
Do whatever the rector of your seminary tells you. Some seminaries have students wear the cassock and collar from Theology I and even Pre-Theology. Some seminaries don’t have the students in clericals until Ordination to the Diaconate.

I’m taking it out of context, but one thing that jumps to mind is when Mary told the servers at the Wedding “Do whatever he tells you”.
 
I don’t know why there is all this focus on clothing and what you can and cannot wear. A seminarian’s focus should be on his studies and his prayer life. Clothing should be way down on the list.
 
No you cannot.

The Canadian Bishops conference recommends that cassocks should be reserved for those in graduate theology and have been instituted as lector.
 
You may not have a choice what you wear.

And if you do have a choice then try not to stand out.
If you are permitted to wear either clerical garb or a religious Habit in public during formation, then it is a wonderful opportunity to be a witness to what you stand for and to the Gospel message.

If we, as Catholics constantly tell ourselves that our traditional clothing and Habits are “out of place” in today’s modern world then we will just become less visible and disappear from the world entirely.

People need to see all types of Catholic - the different orders; Diocesan, Dominican, Franciscan etc. All in their characteristic clothing in order to keep these things visible in an increasingly secular society.

This isn’t merely about one small group in the Church…it’s about the fact that in many places people wouldn’t know the difference between a Dominican brother and an Imam…
 
At the local seminary (the Josephinum), on some (quite frequent) occasions the seminarians wear full clerical clothing - most visible to many when praying outside the local abortion clinic. All of the transitional deacons do, all of the time. It’s a matter of discipline that varies from diocese to diocese, much like the proper form of dress and address for a permanent deacon. Follow the custom at your seminary, or ask the permission of your superior - the dress becomes more traditional by the year, as seminarians (and their teachers) no longer want to be or train “presiders” who are just one of a group all confecting the Eucharist together, but want to be Priests of the Most High God.

If one looks at old books of students’ portraits, one will find that minor seminarians (high school students) often had their portrait taken with cassock and collar around the time of Vatican II. SSPX, as the above poster pointed out, still does, and never abandoned the custom.

I would almost certainly jump ship (or, more accurately, decks of a ship, as we’re all in the Barque of St Peter) to the SSPX if it was reconciled to Rome and I discerned a calling as a priest secular.
As I have been discerning the Josephinum and visited there on occasion, I learned their dress.

You are correct in stating they ware cassocks off campus, But they are waring their special Pontifical Cassocks (red buttons, piping and a red faschua) Normally minor seminarians are shirt and tire (standard dress attire) to class and collarless cassocks to mass and liturgies. And whatever off campus The major seminarians are clerics with collars all the time and cassocks to mass and liturgies, and clerics off campus.

The cassock is way more formal and thus is why it is not to wore for just out on the town, unless you are representing the church in a catechetical or liturgical way.

Hope this helps!
 
The risk here is that one begins to judge the quality of the priest or the religious by the garb. This is very dangerous. Let’s not forget that child sexual abuse was prominent by those who were priests 40 years ago. These men wore cassocks and habits.

This is not to say that the cassock or habit is at fault. It means that the cassock or habit is not a barometer of orthodoxy or holiness.

I say this with all earnestness. Our men do not wear a habit until they are novices. They were a white shirt and grey slacks for formal dress and whatever they have for work. However, they are very holy men. The quality of the formation, the precision of the screening process, and yest those who are priests are formed to preside, because that is the proper term for a priest at the altar. He is the presider. These men are admitted to solemn vows after 10 grueling years of formation in theology, philosophy, Franciscan studies, ministry, and at least one secular science.

This involves many years of community living, long hours of prayer, daily recitation of the Divine Office, two fast days per week, three Lents per year, never leaving a house (not even to walk the dog) without permission, having their mail read, stopping what they’re doing, even if they’re feeding a sick person, to answer to the call of the bell to a community function, because fraternity is the highest form of love as it is an extension of the mass.

The consecrated brothers and the secular brothers see each other as equals, not as separated by some line of demarcation that St. Francis refused to indulge when he started his family. The secular brothers also spend years in formation, anywhere from 7 to 10, before they can make perpetual profession.

These things make up the crux of our life. These thinks the outsider never sees nor will ever see, because they all happen behind closed doors. All that the outsider ever sees is a professed brother in a habit. He doesn’t even see a priest. Our priests go by Brother, not by Father. Only the superior goes by Father, be he a priest or not.

This association of the cassock and habit with the priesthood is highly exaggerated and this is why the bishops have placed such tight strictures on it.

Cassocks and habits deliver a very powerful sermon when the person wearing it is a loving person who smiles, who is simple, who is not afraid of dirtying his cassock to do manual labor, who can joke, cry and listen. When a man walks into a situation and he plays with the kids, helps the ladies with the heavy boxes, sits on the curb of a sidewalk next to a drunk and listens to his stories, hangs out at a park where drugs are given out as free samples and speaks of the love of Christ and the saving power of God which liberates from such addictions, then the cassock and habit are preaching.

If you’re aloof, arrogant, distant, cold, overly dignified, too special to be patted on the back or to pat another person on the back, too dignified to enjoy a hot dog on a park bench with a group of thugs, then you should wear civilian dress. Don’t let anyone know that you’re Catholic.

Fraternally,

Br. JR, FFV 🙂
 
The risk here is that one begins to judge the quality of the priest or the religious by the garb. This is very dangerous. Let’s not forget that child sexual abuse was prominent by those who were priests 40 years ago. These men wore cassocks and habits.

This is not to say that the cassock or habit is at fault. It means that the cassock or habit is not a barometer of orthodoxy or holiness.

I say this with all earnestness. Our men do not wear a habit until they are novices. They were a white shirt and grey slacks for formal dress and whatever they have for work. However, they are very holy men. The quality of the formation, the precision of the screening process, and yest those who are priests are formed to preside, because that is the proper term for a priest at the altar. He is the presider. These men are admitted to solemn vows after 10 grueling years of formation in theology, philosophy, Franciscan studies, ministry, and at least one secular science.

This involves many years of community living, long hours of prayer, daily recitation of the Divine Office, two fast days per week, three Lents per year, never leaving a house (not even to walk the dog) without permission, having their mail read, stopping what they’re doing, even if they’re feeding a sick person, to answer to the call of the bell to a community function, because fraternity is the highest form of love as it is an extension of the mass.

The consecrated brothers and the secular brothers see each other as equals, not as separated by some line of demarcation that St. Francis refused to indulge when he started his family. The secular brothers also spend years in formation, anywhere from 7 to 10, before they can make perpetual profession.

These things make up the crux of our life. These thinks the outsider never sees nor will ever see, because they all happen behind closed doors. All that the outsider ever sees is a professed brother in a habit. He doesn’t even see a priest. Our priests go by Brother, not by Father. Only the superior goes by Father, be he a priest or not.

This association of the cassock and habit with the priesthood is highly exaggerated and this is why the bishops have placed such tight strictures on it.

Cassocks and habits deliver a very powerful sermon when the person wearing it is a loving person who smiles, who is simple, who is not afraid of dirtying his cassock to do manual labor, who can joke, cry and listen. When a man walks into a situation and he plays with the kids, helps the ladies with the heavy boxes, sits on the curb of a sidewalk next to a drunk and listens to his stories, hangs out at a park where drugs are given out as free samples and speaks of the love of Christ and the saving power of God which liberates from such addictions, then the cassock and habit are preaching.

If you’re aloof, arrogant, distant, cold, overly dignified, too special to be patted on the back or to pat another person on the back, too dignified to enjoy a hot dog on a park bench with a group of thugs, then you should wear civilian dress. Don’t let anyone know that you’re Catholic.

Fraternally,

Br. JR, FFV 🙂
AMEN!! 👍

May the SACRED HEART BLESS YOU BR. J for Your words of wisdom!!
 
I attend a college and a seminary, and the seminarians that I see wear cassocks with the collar, suits, or the black shirt, pants, and collar.

The ones who wear the cassocks are called brothers, and they have taken vows.
The ones who wear suits are seminarians with the diocese and they are in their first year of the seminary. They would wear the cassock in their second year as a seminarian, whereas in a religious order like with the Fathers of Mercy, they would wear suits as a postulant.
 
I attend a college and a seminary, and the seminarians that I see wear cassocks with the collar, suits, or the black shirt, pants, and collar.

The ones who wear the cassocks are called brothers, and they have taken vows.
They’re called Brother, not because they’re studying to be priests, but because they are consecrated men.
The ones who wear suits are seminarians with the diocese
These are not consecrated men, nor will they ever be consecrated men. They are called Mister until they become deacons, then they go either by Rev. Mr or by Deacon X.
, whereas in a religious order like with the Fathers of Mercy, they would wear suits as a postulant.
The Fathers of Mercy are not a religious order. They are congregation of clerics, clerks regular or simply a religious congregation. These are communities for men who are both clergy and consecrated. Hence the term clerk for cleric and regular for those who follow a rule (regula). In English they are also called regular priests as oppose to secular priests.

Religious orders are Benedictine, Augustinian, Franciscan, Servites, Dominicans, Carthusians, Carmelites, Trinitarians, Jesuits, Norbertines (O’Praem), Cistercians and Briggitines. Some of these orders have multiple obediences. An obedience is a community that shares the same rule as another community, but owes obedience to its own government. For example, Franciscans have a common rule, but we do not have common government. We’re just too big. Each community is an obedience. The same is true of the Augustinian and the Benedictine families.

The common mistake that people make is that they often believe that the habit, cassock or Roman collar is the sign of the priest. That’s not the case in the Latin Church. The habit, cassock and Roman collar are worn by priests, brothers, seminarians, deacons, monks, friars and hermits. They are mostly worn by the clergy in the West, Catholic and non-Catholic. The dress of the clergy and religious in the East is very different. Often, in the East, if a man is celibate, he wears a veil. I can’t recall what it’s called.

Fraternally,

Br. JR, FFV 🙂
 
Dear Forum,

In one year and a bits time, I hope to be attending Seminary at CHRIST THE KING, In BC. Now, i have a question according to dress. Can I wear the Cassock, minus the collar? I want to get rid of my secular clothes and wear a Cassock as a Seminarian, and if need be, without the collar (at least until that hopeful, magical day comes 6-8 years down the road…:heaven:)

Would this be sinful of me?

am i allowed? Even without the collar?

I dont want to wear my secular clothes, as i want to live for CHRIST, so i feel the Hollister, Aeropostale, Ralph Lauren etc has to go!! Instead, can i don a nice Cassock?

I appreciate your help dear readers!!
Dude, the world is not as evil as you think. Whats wrong with secular clothing? Jesus wore secular clothing during his time. God is present in the world! Don’t run away from it!
 
Dude, the world is not as evil as you think. Whats wrong with secular clothing? Jesus wore secular clothing during his time. God is present in the world! Don’t run away from it!
So have many religious communities and secular priests for centuries. The issue is that one does not know that they are religious or priests, because the mind of the founder was for them to remain anonymous in the world.

We seem to have a problem with anonymity.

Fraternally,

Br. JR, FFV 🙂
 
What do you mean?
I think he means that some seminaries are infested with a form of dissident or heterodox liberalism (I have experienced censure for referring to God using masculine pronouns, for having a veneration of the Blessed Virgin, and for being a strict creationist, among others, so he is at least partially correct if I am not reading my own experiences in to his post), and (perhaps incorrectly) generalizes or extrapolates to the dress code, which Br. JR has addressed.
 
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