Ok I am kinda new to the world of habits, we dont see them here in Canada, and I was wondering...

Why does the Dominican habit have that little white cape thing, sorry I dont know what it is called, and do any others wear it or is that specific to the Dominicans?

And why is the Dominican habit white? Does it have special meaning like the brown of Franciscans?

Thanks!

we Mercedarians also wear a white habit. Ours was given to us by the Blessed Mother to St. Peter Nolasco in honor of Her Immaculate Conception...

The friars and many of the Sisters have the capuce. The nuns NEVER HAD IT!
Originally, the scapular and the hood were one piece but the friars got vain and continued to lengthen th hood until they had the capuce. The story goes that St. Dominic was NOT pleased with this show of vainty. However, everyone does agree that it looks very striking! This is why the nuns never had it. If you see pictures of the active order sisters when they first came to this country and were still nuns you will see that they had a small wimple around their necks. The large wimple that is part of the traditional "coif" of the Dominican Nuns is from the monasteries that came from France and is actually quite "modern" and comes from after the French Revolution.

Yes, the white has a special meaning. When St. Dominic was a canon of the cathedral of Osma they reformed and like the Cistercians, etc. WHITE was considered the color of reform because the habit would then be of undyed wool which would be poorer and cheaper. So actually, it's not necessarily a white white but any shade that is white! (You never realize how many shades of white there are until you have to order fabric! )

So, the habit of the Order is white for purity and black (the cappa and the black veils for nuns who also wear the cappa) for penance.

Aren't you sorry you asked?

i have heard that the black cappa worn by the DOminicans was a penance imposed upon them by the Holy Father at one point in history for preaching heresy... is this true?

Sr. Mary Catharine, I've been told that your habit was given to St. Dominic by the Blessed Virgin herself... is that true? From what I understand the Rosary was, but I'd only just recently heard that about the habit itself. That's so awesome! In that case, I'm amazed there are any Dominicans that choose not to wear it! But anyway, what's the story about Our Lady appearing to St. Dominic?

+

Oh, and it might be helpful for those new to the discernement world to have definitions of the following:

cappa
capuce
wimple
coif

(I'm going to let Sr. or someone else do that!)

Thanks Sr. Mary Catherine, I am not sorry I asked at all

I found this link that talks a little bit more about the habit and Mary if anyone feels like taking a look-see......
http://contemplare.blogspot.com/2006/02/dominican-habit.html

I remember Sr. Mary Catherine talking about the Cappa before. If someone knows where that post is can they link it here ??

Thanks again

'WHAT????? I've never heard that! We've worn the cappa from the very beginning. This is why in England they were known as the BlackFriars.

cappa--the cape or mantle Dominicans wear
capuce--the white hood&short cape that the friars and some sisters wear. I don't think any other order calls it this but I could be wrong.
wimple--the white material around the face. In the middle ages, all married women wore a wimple.
coif--for DOMINICAN NUNS we call the veil, cap, wimple, headband, the whole thing: THE COIF.

YES! The habit which means the scapular for Dominicans was given by our Blessed Mother to Bl Reginald. She appeared to him while he was ill and we are told that she showed him the full habit and from then on the friars began wearing the scapular. Now, it's my theory that the NUNS always wore the scapular since they began living the cistercian usage at the very beginning and were monastics. But we have proof.

We got the scapular from the BL. Mother before the Carmelites did. As the old joke goes, Our Lady was very busy sewing!

The Rosary being given by Our Lady to St. Dominic is of doubtful orign. This story only began with Bl Alan de Roche several hundred years later. The Order didn't officially begin wearing the Rosary until the 1500's. We know that this is a Dominic of Prussia also associated with the Rosary and the stories might have merged.

HOWEVER, I do believe that St. Dominic is somehow still associated with the Rosary since the Rosary is about the Mysteries of Salvation which is why the Order was founded. So I think that somehow the story is true in essence and I don't think Dominicans will stop having statues and paintings around of our Lady giving the Rosary to St. Dominic!

The white thing worn around the shoulders of the St. Cecilia Dominicans--I've always heard--is called the "capelet." For our foundations, that's what we're referring to. Most of our active orders will look like St. Cecilia Dominicans with colors added.

Blessings,
Gemma

Fr. John Langois gave a talk on that, actually! The MP3 is here: http://www.dominicanfriars.org/2006/10/10/...-of-the-rosary/

The congregations of OP sisters founded in the US were more associated with the friars and so they had the cape/capulet. The congregations whose origins were from Germany and were originally Nuns, or 2nd Order, wore the wimple. Later, most changed to the cape. If you read their histories all these modifications were a big deal....'cause we're women!

Agreed, however....I am completely satisfied with the 21st Century habits of the Dominican Order. And of course a few other communities.

When you say "21st Century habit" my mind's eye suddenly pictures Dominican sisters, The Matrix-style. You know, with sunglasses and stuff.

My imagination is somewhat overly vivid from time to time...

I have been lent a book by a friend which has lots of pictures in it of religious in the Netherlands, both presently and from some time ago.

Now, Dominicans in this country get a bad rap (not least from me, mea culpa). They only seldomly (if at all) wear a habit, no longer live in community, and all kinds of whatnot. However, this book has taught me something...sometimes anything might seem better than what you had.

Because these Dominican sisters used to wear a habit that incorporated bow ties. I kid you not.

Love and prayers,

PP

I honestly have to say - and Sister Mary Catharine/Sister Judith Miryam can testify to this - I am an absolute habit freak. Literally...now if the habit portrayed something that it shouldnt, like um...bow ties ( ) then I would modify it - Dominicn Habits (and others) such as Summit has the perfect example of what a "21st Century" Habit should be like. As well as Alton, SMME, Cistercian, Lockport - some other wonderful examples.