What's The Most Beautiful Habit You've Ever Seen?

[emilier98]

[quote name='kavalamyself' timestamp='1302290442' post='2226938']
I might have changed my mind. Check out the lining underneath the veil! (And the crosses on the outer veil!)

[img]http://4.bp.blogspot.com/_OHdzk3JlsgY/S_XIbgvSwyI/AAAAAAAAGLc/oBy1rxDAKr4/s1600/Benedictine+Nuns_perpetual+profession+of+vows.JPG[/img]
[/quote]

Who are they?

[OnlySunshine]

[quote name='emilier98' timestamp='1302652931' post='2227983']
Who are they?
[/quote]

Those are the beautiful Benedictines of Mary, Queen of the Apostles.

[emilier98]

[quote name='MaterMisericordiae' timestamp='1302653395' post='2227985']
Those are the beautiful Benedictines of Mary, Queen of the Apostles.
[/quote]

Thank you O wise Master. lol

And why do the cloistered nuns get the pretty habits? It's not fair. *pouts*

Edited April 13, 2011 by emilier98

[DameAgnes]

[quote name='emilier98' timestamp='1302653465' post='2227987']
Thank you O wise Master. lol

And why do the cloistered nuns get the pretty habits? It's not fair. *pouts*
[/quote]

I think almost all habits are beautiful (don't like the Franciscan Sisters of the Eucharist habit, though, or the Franciscan Sisters of the Renewal habits, b/c they're so spare; they look terrible on the well-endowed) but if you are looking for active nuns with beautiful habits, I can't think of any prettier than the Sisters of Life, the DSMME's, the ND's - all based on the same pattern, of course. It flatters every sort of build. This is also true of the Benedictine habit, and the habit of cloistered Dominicans. I think that's because the scapular gives a great line.

[Sister Marie]

[quote name='krissylou' timestamp='1302631699' post='2227810']
Some orders were founded without habits (notably Daughters of Charity/Sisters of Charity, but they aren't the only ones) and subsequently the community (not the founders) deemed it wise to add on a "uniform." So they did. The same community that decided that for their particular time and place it made sense to add it on, could also decide in another time and place not to use it.

Also, I would point out that "return to the intentions of your founders" is not a simple process, especially for very old orders. So, these are the sorts of things that Francis did about the year 1200. What do we understand about the cultural context of 13th century Italy? What did those things mean in that context? We now live in a very different time and place. Given what we know about how Francis interacted with his culture, what would it look like to be truly Franciscan in our culture?

That is NOT an easy and obvious analysis! And so it makes total sense to me that different communities would honestly and faithfully and prayerfully wrestle with that -- and come up with different answers. And different communities that come up with different answers end up emphasizing different elements and we as a wider Church need all these different emphases.

What is really sad (I figure it's the religious life's version of the "Mommy Wars" as human nature is pretty consistent) is when this becomes such a bone of contention. I keep remembering hearing our own dear Sister Marie (whose community wears a modified habit) talking about going to some larger gathering of Sisters and finding that NOBODY else wanted to talk to her. The people in full, traditional habits thought her modified habit wasn't nunly enough, or something, and the people without habits thought, oh something else bad. (And I could easily imagine people in modified habits thinking that they had found the "right balance" between being locked in traditionalism and discarding all tradition. Human nature is consistent.)

THAT, I feel very confident in saying, should not be.


[/quote]


When I read, "What is the most beautiful habit you've ever seen?" I agree with most of your ideas of what the most beautiful habit is. I love all the habits posted here - some more than others of course: long sleeves, cincture, veils, tunics.... However, I don't wear one of these habits, The most beautiful habit to me is the habit I wear and it has been blessed by a priest and it is the sign of my consecration so it is the most beautiful to me. Even though it may not be a "traditional habit" I still pray as I get dressed in the morning as I put each piece of my blessed garment on. It represents the spirituality of and charism of my community - which is the heart of my consecrated life - and I get to wear it each day.

You are right - Human nature is consistent - all religious have the temptation to fall into pride based on what they wear. I have definitely felt that way before myself and have been the target of it too. I think though that I can realize that all sisters want desperately to believe that they are authentically and passionately living their call to religious life so sometimes we do get carried away with being "right." As women - "right" usually has something to do with dress.

Sister Marie

[OnlySunshine]

[quote name='emilier98' timestamp='1302653465' post='2227987']
Thank you O wise Master. lol

And why do the cloistered nuns get the pretty habits? It's not fair. *pouts*
[/quote]

You're welcome, Eye-gor!

There are several active/contemplative orders that have very pretty habits. Take for instance the Sister Servants of the Eternal Word (the order I'm discerning) whose habit is based on the Nashville Dominicans (Mother Mary Gabriel was a ND before she formed the order). I also love the Marian habits of the Franciscan Sisters of the Immaculate, the Sisters of Life, the Sisters of Our Lady Immaculate, and Sisters of the Immaculate Heart of Mary of Wichita. I think the Franciscan Sisters of the Renewal have a very beautiful, simple habit. I also think the Dominican habit is GORGEOUS!

[TradMom]

+Praised be Jesus Christ!

I owe a wonderful education to this Order and their habits never ceased to inspire me - the color in particular, which the photographer describes - a violet blue! I don't think we have anything like this habit in "today's" Church. I wish I could find a color picture to paste in here but I can't. Perhaps someone more computer-friendly knows how!

http://www.flickr.com/photos/65359853@N00/4858188088/in/set-72157624205962066/

Pax,
TradMom

[OnlySunshine]

[quote name='TradMom' timestamp='1302657244' post='2228010']
+Praised be Jesus Christ!

I owe a wonderful education to this Order and their habits never ceased to inspire me - the color in particular, which the photographer describes - a violet blue! I don't think we have anything like this habit in "today's" Church. I wish I could find a color picture to paste in here but I can't. Perhaps someone more computer-friendly knows how!

http://www.flickr.com/photos/65359853@N00/4858188088/in/set-72157624205962066/

Pax,
TradMom
[/quote]

I googled the order and found a nun doll with the habit of these Sisters:

[img]http://oripter.com/cath%20Sp148%20sis%20of%20immac%20heart%20of%20mary.jpg[/img]

[krissylou]

[quote name='MaterMisericordiae' timestamp='1302658261' post='2228016']
I googled the order and found a nun doll with the habit of these Sisters:

[img]http://oripter.com/cath%20Sp148%20sis%20of%20immac%20heart%20of%20mary.jpg[/img]
[/quote]

Sister Marie, clarification please.

Am I right that these are an entirely different strain from your IHMs? You are in the same strain as the IHMs of Monroe Michigan (whom I know from A Nun's Life podcasts) and they talk about a few sister communities but they never mention IHMs in California or the Wichita ones, etc. And TradMom's link talks about this order came from Spain, which doesn't mesh at all with the IHM history I hear from A Nun's Life.

So are they just an entirely separate thing from your community, just using the same letters?

Inquiring Minds Want to Know.

[franciscanheart]

[quote name='DameAgnes' timestamp='1302654602' post='2227998']
...or the Franciscan Sisters of the Renewal habits, b/c they're so spare; they look terrible on the well-endowed)...
[/quote]
I think that habit is beautiful!

[quote name='MaterMisericordiae' timestamp='1302655889' post='2228004']
... I think the Franciscan Sisters of the Renewal have a very beautiful, simple habit. ...
[/quote]
Agreed.

[Sister Marie]

Yes, you are correct, my IHMs are not related to these IHMs. My IHMs are related to the Monroe IHMs and the Scranton IHMs - but we are three distinct congregations. We have a common history/founding but were split apart early in our history and developed independently. There are so many congregations using IHM. Usually the best way to figure us out is that we are "[b]Sisters, Servants[/b] of the Immaculate Heart of Mary." I don't know that there are any other IHMs with "Sisters, Servants."

Sister Marie
[quote name='krissylou' timestamp='1302661886' post='2228034']
Sister Marie, clarification please.

Am I right that these are an entirely different strain from your IHMs? You are in the same strain as the IHMs of Monroe Michigan (whom I know from A Nun's Life podcasts) and they talk about a few sister communities but they never mention IHMs in California or the Wichita ones, etc. And TradMom's link talks about this order came from Spain, which doesn't mesh at all with the IHM history I hear from A Nun's Life.

So are they just an entirely separate thing from your community, just using the same letters?

Inquiring Minds Want to Know.
[/quote]

[Mary Magdalene]

[quote name='emilier98' timestamp='1302653465' post='2227987']
Thank you O wise Master. lol

And why do the cloistered nuns get the pretty habits? It's not fair. *pouts*
[/quote]


Agreed, they have a stunning habit...which I quite like!

[sistersintigo]

[quote name='TradMom' timestamp='1302657244' post='2228010']
+Praised be Jesus Christ!

I owe a wonderful education to this Order and their habits never ceased to inspire me - the color in particular, which the photographer describes - a violet blue! I don't think we have anything like this habit in "today's" Church. I wish I could find a color picture to paste in here but I can't. Perhaps someone more computer-friendly knows how!

http://www.flickr.com/photos/65359853@N00/4858188088/in/set-72157624205962066/

Pax,
TradMom
[/quote]

IHM sisters in Southern California....is this the congregation which was blasted to smithereens by the encounter groups of Abraham Maslow and Carl Rogers?

[emilier98]

[quote name='MaterMisericordiae' timestamp='1302655889' post='2228004']
You're welcome, Eye-gor!

There are several active/contemplative orders that have very pretty habits. Take for instance the Sister Servants of the Eternal Word (the order I'm discerning) whose habit is based on the Nashville Dominicans (Mother Mary Gabriel was a ND before she formed the order). I also love the Marian habits of the Franciscan Sisters of the Immaculate, the Sisters of Life, the Sisters of Our Lady Immaculate, and Sisters of the Immaculate Heart of Mary of Wichita. I think the Franciscan Sisters of the Renewal have a very beautiful, simple habit. I also think the Dominican habit is GORGEOUS!
[/quote]

I love the full Dominican habit, not the shortened modified ones that lack the scapular and rosary. Although I have seen some modify the full habit, but just slightly. They shorten the veil a bit, hem the tunic and scapular so that they come up to the ankle and hem the sleeves so they only come down to the wrist. I can handle those modifications, even though I understand that the full habit is not always practical depending on the apostalate. I cannot wait until the day I get my pretty, pretty Dominican habit. I still adore that Benedictine habit though. Did you see inside the veil that it's red? So pretty.

[DameAgnes]

[quote name='franciscanheart' timestamp='1302668540' post='2228074']
I think that habit is beautiful!


Agreed.
[/quote]

Franciscan Heart, didn't mean to offend...I don't think the habit is ugly...I just think it could use a little more fabric or a few pleats at the chest part, but that's just my own thing.

[krissylou]

[quote name='Sister Marie' timestamp='1302686436' post='2228119']
Yes, you are correct, my IHMs are not related to these IHMs. My IHMs are related to the Monroe IHMs and the Scranton IHMs - but we are three distinct congregations. We have a common history/founding but were split apart early in our history and developed independently. There are so many congregations using IHM. Usually the best way to figure us out is that we are "[b]Sisters, Servants[/b] of the Immaculate Heart of Mary." I don't know that there are any other IHMs with "Sisters, Servants."

Sister Marie

[/quote]

Thanks! I kept hearing about these three congregations (but no others) and my impression was that "IHM" was WAY more common than that.

Now I get it. Thanks for the clarification.

Thread hijack over, back to ooohing over habits, everybody.

For myself, I like functional habits that you can move in. I remember in "Dead Man Walking" Sister Helen Prejean talks about their "full-habit" days when one of her Sisters was in a sewing store and felt a series of small tugs at her veil and turned around to see a very embarrassed woman who had mistaken her (from the back) for a bolt of fabric!



Also, the RSCJs (the Sisters who taught Teresa of the Andes) used to have a ruffle framing their face -- which took HOURS to set just right -- seriously it would take one of their lay sisters a day a week to be preparing them for the choir sisters. (Not sure if those are exactly the right terms for an active order, but the same idea.) After that distinction was abolished and they were reconsidering "who we are and what we do" and all that, the choice came down to "well we could spend Saturday mornings setting ruffles, or we could use a drastically simplified veil and use Saturday mornings teaching literacy classes" that seemed to be a slam-dunk. They subsequently stopped using a habit altogether, which is a different issue, but ditching the ruffles makes sense to me.

I am growing in apprecation of the value of a uniform as a clear and obvious visible sign that you are set apart for God, but for me, the attraction of spending hours setting ruffles, or being mistaken for a bolt of fabric, this would wear off quickly.

[InPersonaChriste]

Visitation nuns and the Benedictine Habit.

I dont like the Dominican habit because I cannot stand to wear an easily staining piece of material. I am such a slob, if you wear a dark habit it wont look stained :D

[InPersonaChriste]

[quote name='emilier98' timestamp='1302652931' post='2227983']
Who are they?
[/quote]

Benedictines of Mary Queen of the Apostles nuns. They are based out of Kansas www.benedictinesofmary.org

[Lil'Monster]

[quote name='InPersonaChriste' timestamp='1302730850' post='2228390']
Visitation nuns and the Benedictine Habit.

I dont like the Dominican habit because I cannot stand to wear an easily staining piece of material. I am such a slob, if you wear a dark habit it wont look stained :D
[/quote]

[emilier98]

[quote name='InPersonaChriste' timestamp='1302730850' post='2228390']
Visitation nuns and the Benedictine Habit.

I dont like the Dominican habit because I cannot stand to wear an easily staining piece of material. I am such a slob, if you wear a dark habit it wont look stained :D
[/quote]

Apparently they don't actually stain that easy. I have a friend that was a DSMME postulant and she says they just use Dawn and a toothbrush to get the stuff out and you never see them with a stain on their habit. Oh and I have a friend that is a friar and he is super sloppy and his habit isn't stained. Plus Dominican habit is amesome and gorgeous.