Sisters W/o Habits (& Best Orders?)

[Safia]

A good friend of my family's is a priest from Poland, and we spoke on the phone last night, and he asked me to help him with two questions, as he has a niece interested in pursuing this type of life. Can anyone help me answer his questions?

1. Is there an official term for Sisters who don't wear habits, or for orders whose Sisters don't wear habits?

2. Can anyone direct me to any of these types of orders that are 100% in communion with the Church (were not negatively influenced by VII), especially in the Midwest?

Starting my discernment, the only thing I knew is that I wanted a traditionally habited order, so I've not once taken a look at the other side of the coin.

Thanks! God bless!

Edited June 6, 2012 by Safia

[maximillion]

There is no specific term that I am aware of for any order which does not have the habit. Active orders of sisters are that, they are all sisters with or without the habit......

I am not too brilliant on the rest of your question about directing you to orders but I am sure there are many here who can and will - and there are lots of lovely orders too.

[LaPetiteSoeur]

Daughters of Charity
Sisters of Charity of St. Joan Antida (not the Sisters of Charity, they are part of the same family, but the sisters under St. Joan Antida are kosher. Some sisters wear a habit, others do not)
Felician Sisters (some wear a habit, some do not)
IHM Sisters

There are several others, I just have to check to make sure I spel their names correctly.

[Lisa]

I've heard only positive things about the Apostles of the Interior Life, who are in Kansas among other places.

Edited June 6, 2012 by Lisa

[carmenchristi]

[quote name='Lisa' timestamp='1339006427' post='2441826']
I've heard only positive things about the Apostles of the Interior Life, who are in Kansas among other places.
[/quote]
I met some of them in Rome... I got some good vibes and think they would be worth checking out. I'm cautious about new things, but they seemed really interesting.

[beatitude]

Little Sisters of Jesus.

[Strictlyinkblot]

I've a soft spot for the Loreto sisters as they taught me in school

[Sister Marie]

[quote name='LaPetiteSoeur' timestamp='1339005998' post='2441825']
Daughters of Charity
Sisters of Charity of St. Joan Antida (not the Sisters of Charity, they are part of the same family, but the sisters under St. Joan Antida are kosher. Some sisters wear a habit, others do not)
Felician Sisters (some wear a habit, some do not)
IHM Sisters

There are several others, I just have to check to make sure I spel their names correctly.
[/quote]

There are a few different IHM congregations: Monroe, Scranton and Immaculata/Philadelphia are "related" but are not the same congregation. Then there are other IHMs who are completely different congregations - I think there are 2 others. The IHMs in Monroe and Scranton do not wear habits. Immaculata/Philadelphia IHMs do.

I was in Monroe last summer and stayed with the IHMs there - it was great!

[stlmom]

These sisters have a habit that is very simple and neutral in style, so almost "without habit". They are very loyal to the Church. Their website is being updated, so the link I'm posting is actually to their older site. Sister Joanna's vocation story sounds a lot like many of our PM'ers.

[url="http://sacredheartsisters.com/whoweare/indexwhoweare.html"]http://sacredheartsi...exwhoweare.html[/url]

[OnlySunshine]

[quote name='stlmom' timestamp='1339011028' post='2441863']
These sisters have a habit that is very simple and neutral in style, so almost "without habit". They are very loyal to the Church. Their website is being updated, so the link I'm posting is actually to their older site. Sister Joanna's vocation story sounds a lot like many of our PM'ers.

[url="http://sacredheartsisters.com/whoweare/indexwhoweare.html"]http://sacredheartsi...exwhoweare.html[/url]
[/quote]

My friend's wife was a member of this order for 5 years. She had nothing but good things to say about it. She said they helped mold her into the woman she is today -- caring, loving, compassionate, etc.

[AnneLine]

I was thinking of the Socieity Devoted to the Sacred Heart as well, but saw their website was down. I'm glad you found a working info page.

They were founded without a habit, because they were founded in Eastern Europe (I don't remember which country) under the Communist Block restrictions. They are a good, solid community.

There are many of them out there....

[mantellata]

The Servants of God's Love are a fabulous community in Ann Arbor Michigan - they have a "dress code" of sorts but no uniform habit. If you are familiar with Renewal ministries - Sr. Ann Shields is well known and is the former superior of this community.

[url="http://www.servantsofgodslove.catholicweb.com/"]http://www.servantso...atholicweb.com/[/url]

[img]http://home.catholicweb.com/servantsofgodslove/images/DSC_05791.jpg[/img]

Edited June 6, 2012 by mantellata

[OnlySunshine]

[quote name='Safia' timestamp='1339003532' post='2441804']
A good friend of my family's is a priest from Poland, and we spoke on the phone last night, and he asked me to help him with two questions, as he has a niece interested in pursuing this type of life. Can anyone help me answer his questions?

1. Is there an official term for Sisters who don't wear habits, or for orders whose Sisters don't wear habits?

2. Can anyone direct me to any of these types of orders that are 100% in communion with the Church (were not negatively influenced by VII), especially in the Midwest?

Starting my discernment, the only thing I knew is that I wanted a traditionally habited order, so I've not once taken a look at the other side of the coin.

Thanks! God bless!
[/quote]

My former pastor had a Cenacle Sister as part of the parish staff before she retired. He invited another one to give a retreat during Lent and she was wonderful. I know they don't wear habits -- just a cross pendant. They have a convent located in Chicago, IL.

[url="http://www.cenaclesisters.org/provincial/about-the-cenacle-sisters/"]Cenacle Sisters [/url]

There are the Sisters Servants of Mary Immaculate (SSMI) that were begun in Poland and do not wear distinctive dress. They have it in their constitutions, I believe, that habits are not part of the order. Their website is very beautiful. They possess the Franciscan spirituality. They are also part of CMSWR which is known for their adherence to the Church teachings.

[url="http://www.ssmiusa.com/SSMI2/Home.html"]SSMI Sisters[/url]

[berenike]

Send him this link:
http://www.mariowka.sluzki.opoka.org.pl/Ameryka.htm

A "honorackie" congregation with a US province. Perhaps some of the other unhabited/habitless Honoration congregations have US houses too - the Felicians do, but they're not habitless. I don't really know the congregations myself, but I know someone who preaches to and confesses them, and he's excellent.

Here is a list of some in Poland - he could look to see which ones have US houses.
http://misjonarkiszkoly.blogspot.com/p/zgromadzenia-bezhabitowe-w-polsce.html

- the hosting congregation (St. Catherine of Siena's Union of School-Missionary Sisters) are in the US.

[OnlySunshine]

I would also recommend the Daughters of Charity of the Emmitsburg, MD province. They allow women to wear distinctive garb, but it's not required.

[url="http://www.thedaughtersofcharity.org/"]Daughters of Charity[/url]

[berenike]

Site of US province of that first congregation to which I linked:

[url="http://www.ssmiusa.com/SSMI2/Home.html"]http://www.ssmiusa.com/SSMI2/Home.html[/url]

edited - ha, someone had the same thought before I did, our posts crossed earlier and I never noticed.

Edited June 7, 2012 by berenike

[LinaSt.Cecilia2772]

Congregation of Holy Cross in Notre Dame, Indiana, and the congregation of Divine providence in San Antonio, Texas. Those are the ones that come to my mind, and I know several of the sisters in each of those orders.

[Gemma]

[quote name='Safia' timestamp='1339003532' post='2441804']
A good friend of my family's is a priest from Poland, and we spoke on the phone last night, and he asked me to help him with two questions, as he has a niece interested in pursuing this type of life. Can anyone help me answer his questions?

1. Is there an official term for Sisters who don't wear habits, or for orders whose Sisters don't wear habits?

2. Can anyone direct me to any of these types of orders that are 100% in communion with the Church (were not negatively influenced by VII), especially in the Midwest?

Starting my discernment, the only thing I knew is that I wanted a traditionally habited order, so I've not once taken a look at the other side of the coin.

Thanks! God bless!
[/quote]

1. Sisters

2. Any specific states? Midwest covers a large area.

Three that came to mind are:

Sisters of Charity of the Incarnate Word in Houston, TX
[url="http://www.amormeus.org/"]http://www.amormeus.org/[/url]

However, if you read their page "The Earth" it does have overtones of paganism.

Franciscans of Oldenburg, Indiana
[url="http://oldenburgfranciscans.org/"]http://oldenburgfranciscans.org/[/url]

Benedictines of Ferdinand, Indiana
[url="http://www.thedome.org/"]http://www.thedome.org/[/url]

Adrian Dominicans used to have Latin chant on their homepage:
[url="http://www.adriandominicans.org/"]http://www.adriandominicans.org/[/url]

IHMs, which have already been mentioned.

Fabulous architecture as well.

The Daughters of Charity are a Society of Apostolic Life and have never been obligated to wear a habit.

Many of the communities have constitutions which give them the option of a habit, or more precisely "clothing appropriate to the ministry" which is almost straight out of the VatII docs on updating religious life. Many of them wear civies "because it's easier."

One has to pay attention to their attractions. I cannot completely vouch for these communities which I have posted, but the first two attracted me, so I am seeing why (not that I can pursue anything right now, but I'm still going to read up on them).

I wear distinctive garb for the Cloisterites on Sunday and First Friday, and one non-Catholic man actually said, "Glad to see the Catholic Church is doing that again." I also keep getting asked "Why did the nuns disappear?"

Blessings,
Gemma

Edited June 7, 2012 by Gemma

[Thijs]

I totally agree. they are giving spiritual directions to 2 of the best best Catholic campus ministry in the US; the st Mary's Catholic Center of Texas A &M University and the St. Lawrence Catholic Campus Center of the University of Kansas. I believe they used to minister as well to University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign where Sr Debbie join..and they have lots of young vocations among other things]

[somethingfishy]

[quote name='MichaelKoenigTalidong' timestamp='1339145712' post='2442464']
I totally agree. they are giving spiritual directions to 2 of the best best Catholic campus ministry in the US; the st Mary's Catholic Center of Texas A &M University and the St. Lawrence Catholic Campus Center of the University of Kansas. I believe they used to minister as well to University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign where Sr Debbie join..and they have lots of young vocations among other things]
[/quote]

By "they" I believe you mean the [url="http://www.apostolevitainteriore.it/apostlesofil/index.html"]Apostles of the Interior Life.[/url]