The Heralds of the Gospel:
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They wear these huge black boots with it
I don’t like the whole look. Too loud.
And of course, the Poor Clares of Perpetual Adoration
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The Poor Clares do not have a habit. This is the habit for that particular house. Every Poor Clare house decides what they want to wear. St. Clare said that the nuns were to wear whatever they felt was practical, comfortable, affordable and fitting to their taste. Her own manner of dress looked nothing like this. It was much simpler. It was just a grey tunic, with a cord and a black veil used for mass and outdoors, a cap for indoors.
The Dominican nuns
I will try to find a picture. Some Dominican nuns used to come to a Mass we attended many years ago, and they would be all in a line and look just lovely!
Are you sure you don’t mean the Dominican Sisters? The Dominican nuns do not attend mass with lay people.
I like the Redemptorist’s garb, though they are not a religious order.
The Redemptorists are a religious congregation. Their habit is an imitation of the Oratorian cassock. It was a very common cassock in Italy.
I like the habit of the FFV, not because it’s beautiful, but the opposite. It’s actually quite ugly. It’s deliberately ugly. It’s the habit worn by the Capuchins, the Franciscans of the Renewal and the Franciscans of the Primitive Observance. We kept it, when we became autonomous, because of its ugliness. It does not attract much admiration from anyone. Most people look at it and go
View attachment 14855 My very dear friend, Bishop Estevez of the Diocese of St. Augustine and I
View attachment 14856 One of my babies and I
View attachment 14857 Me preaching a retreat
It’s baby vomit proof too.
I lost count of how many babies have spit up their lunch on my habit.
It’s quite comfortable and easy to put on and off. It’s just a tunic with a cowl. We do not wear a mantle, pants, undershirts, or shoes. I wear shoes, because I’m diabetic. The other brothers go barefoot indoors and wear sandals outdoors.
Each time that I look at the picture with the bishop I chuckle at the contrast. While other brothers and clerics look spiffy in the black suit, rabbat and white collar, we look like slobs. I do confess that I own a grey suit, rabbat and white collar. It’s too hot to wear black around here.
Fraternally,
Br. JR, FFV
