A Look At Two Communities, One With A Habit, One Without

[AnneLine]

Have to totally agree with the discussion about the habits.

A well-designed habit should make EVERYONE look good, tall, short, svelte (great word!) or not so, younger, older. It's worth taking the time to do it right, because they are an investment. Over and above the spiritual benefits, just looking beautiful is important, I think - the Sister is representing God, right? Why SHOULDN'T she look beautiful..... this is the One who created sunsets and mountains and rivers... and animals & people! God appreciates beauty...

And it should be practical.... comfortable to wear, well-designed. SOmetimes that takes a few tries (I know when the Daughters of Charity were asked to modify their habit by Rome, they moved out of the Cornettes and into a very simple uniform habit and headdress. Did you know that the fashion designer Dior DONATED the redesign of their habits to the Daughters (I attended high school with them)... and while they wore that design they all looked attractive and said it was wonderfully easy to wear with the exception of the headgear, which they didn't know would create ear problems, so THAT did have to get redesigned... but yes, this was a very simple and attractive redesign:

[url="http://providencecentennial.com/scrapbook/photos_view.php?id=47"][img]http://providencecentennial.com/scrapbook/photos/pic5.jpg[/img][/url]

[img]http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-yDWxQfwcp8k/TwuNU7l4FPI/AAAAAAAAAgo/VwBCr3uXAC8/s1600/LouiseDeMarillac.jpg[/img]
[img]http://sphotos-a.xx.fbcdn.net/hphotos-snc7/c50.0.403.403/p403x403/578851_423448034364667_1881298718_n.jpg[/img]

The headgear that Dior designed actually looked a lot like the one worn by the foundress (St. Louise) in paintings, which I thought was a nice design touch -- unfortunately it included a piece of metal (designed to get away from needing any starch, anywhere in the world) that created problems for the sisters ears. But that was easily adjusted once they figured out what the problem was....

A few pleats (or a well designed princess-style) really does make a huge difference.... And the pleats are easy to adjust for the next wearer, too... if the sister hasn't worn out her postulant outfit, why not pass it on as a work habit to the 'next generation' so to speak......

Edited August 26, 2012 by AnneLine

[mantellata]

I can't prop the above enough ^^^^

[Antigonos]

[quote name='MaterMisericordiae' timestamp='1345957865' post='2474376']
When I was a CNA, I always had to come home and wash the scrubs (and myself) because of the high bacteria count. I didn't want to wind up infecting myself or someone else. Thankfully, my order, which is a nursing order for the most part, assigns nursing habits to their Sisters that are white so I'm assuming they wash them after every shift.
[/quote]

Studies show [I can give a link if you want] that scrubs are actually cleaner if washed in industrial laundries, which practically sterilize them. My problem was that I never got back the same number I sent, and not being a common size, found myself without enough changes! One presumes that nursing orders are aware of this.

[AnneLine]

Antigonos, I gotta ask -- did your Blessing Bunny go through that industrial washer?

[img]http://www.phatmass.com/phorum/uploads/photo-thumb-9453.jpg?_r=0[/img]

A lot of religious communities had moved into white 'uniforms' that could be boiled/industrially washed for the nursing sisters, which just makes sense. Especially when the regular habits might not get as frequent a washing.... a lot of those were cleaned the way a coat gets cleaned.... when needed. My suspicion is that the communities that wore/wear white get cleaned more often... and often have sleeves that can be switched off! I know my husband's work shirts (he has to wear a uniform) have to get done every other day or the sleeves are telltale.... even if he doesn't want to admit to it..... I wouldn't be surprised if the nursing sister habits aren't just washed after each shift.... (hope so!!!)

Edited August 27, 2012 by AnneLine

[OnlySunshine]

[quote name='Antigonos' timestamp='1346050594' post='2474802']
Studies show [I can give a link if you want] that scrubs are actually cleaner if washed in industrial laundries, which practically sterilize them. [b]My problem was that I never got back the same number I sent, and not being a common size, found myself without enough changes![/b] One presumes that nursing orders are aware of this.
[/quote]

Oh, dear!

I would be upset if the size was hard to find and they kept losing them. I hear ya about the large industrial washers. The nursing home I worked at used them for all the patients' laundry, including the bedding, because the water was able to get very hot. That's why you could never, ever, ever allow patients to put in delicate things like shirts with sequins or beads because they'd invariably melt or get damaged.

[AnneLine]

[quote name='MaterMisericordiae' timestamp='1346056552' post='2474816']
Oh, dear!

I would be upset if the size was hard to find and they kept losing them. I hear ya about the large industrial washers. The nursing home I worked at used them for all the patients' laundry, including the bedding, because the water was able to get very hot. That's why you could never, ever, ever allow patients to put in delicate things like shirts with sequins or beads because they'd invariably melt or get damaged.
[/quote]


Let's hope that neither sisters nor nurses would have sequins or beads......



Well... ok, maybe rosary beads for the sisters, but probably not intended for the washers......

Edited August 27, 2012 by AnneLine

[OnlySunshine]

[quote name='AnneLine' timestamp='1346058731' post='2474821']
Let's hope that neither sisters nor nurses would have sequins or beads......



Well... ok, maybe rosary beads for the sisters, but probably not intended for the washers......
[/quote]

Thankfully, my Sisters don't wear rosaries on their nursing habit. I truly understand why, too, with the things it can get snagged on. The RSMs of Alma don't wear rosaries for the same reason. I think some of them carry one in their pocket, but never attached to their habit since they are doctors and nurses mostly.

[AnneLine]

Daughters of charity still wore them when we were in high school, but they said that while they loved the idea of having the rosary be part of the habit, they said they were a pain because they constantly kept getting caught on door handles, bouncing the sisters back very suddenly (and they said few of the elderly ones even were knocked down by them....). I can believe that, having seen the unexpected 'boing' a few times....

Most of the Sisters just slid the rosary into the pocket... .while it was still attached to the belt. Solved the problem ')

I see that the ones in the picture had the side rosaries showing, but I bet they went back in the pockets when the photographers went away.....

Edited August 27, 2012 by AnneLine

[Thijs]

Not a surprise LCWR… Leading Conference of Wiccan Revolutionaries….well all I could say if you are faithful to the Church, to the faith and fervent her fervent defender of her teachings and works donning a habit or not, God will give you vocations no matter what..
I know that there are still quite a few dying members but you can't deny the fact that those in charge of their formation and their elected superiors typically questions the basic tenets of the faith...
Even Sister Sarah Butlet a respected orthodox theologian whose sisters belong to LCWR once said "that increasingly progressive leadership of religious orders threatens the Catholic character of the orders and is polarizing those in religious life. She said this is occurring despite the fact that the vast majority of consecrated religious are not progressive or even in progressive orders.
“The problem is not only that so few are joining our ranks,” Butler said. “It is that the current polarization and division in the church at large is found among us as well. It exists in the uneasy and even fractured relationships among our apostolic institutes, within many of our institutes, and — for many — in the relationships of religious with the diocesan clergy, the bishops and the Holy See.”
Butler said that the “reality of this polarization is more than regrettable; it is a cause of scandal and continues abetted by bishops unwilling to confront progressive religious.”"
check it out...
[url="http://www.stonehill.edu/Documents/Mission%20Office/RLS_Documentation/BUTLER.pdf"]http://www.stonehill.edu/Documents/Mission%20Office/RLS_Documentation/BUTLER.pdf[/url]

I agree with the older sister once I talked to..when they leave their congregations because her congragations are more wiccan than catholic she will leave her vows behind as well which she clearly loves with the work she contributed to her congregations..so I ask what's the best way to stop them? well it hurts but she said but I have told a lot of women who asks about us to look somewhere else. do love the Church and do you want to be a sister? then look for the sisters who loves Her well....it hurts giving these advise but it's the best and I'm praying for her.

I'm hoping that these visitation will bring genuine reforms not never-ending dialogue which is another way of saying..get away from us...LCWR leadership needs new leaders that will bring reforms or else dissol;ve them and let them die

[Antigonos]

[quote name='AnneLine' timestamp='1346056488' post='2474815']
Antigonos, I gotta ask -- did your Blessing Bunny go through that industrial washer?

[img]http://www.phatmass.com/phorum/uploads/photo-thumb-9453.jpg?_r=0[/img]

[/quote]

Bad hair day !