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Nuns no longer covering. - Page 2

post #21 of 51
12/15/08 at 6:45pm
It completely depends on the order. The teaching order (Ursulines) from my high school (mid 80s) wore knee-length blue skirts, white shirts and some wore blue habits that covered some of their hair. Most now do not wear a habit at all. I see many teaching orders that do not wear habits

There are several cloistered orders near me that wear the full habit.

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post #22 of 51
12/16/08 at 10:57am
Quote:
Originally Posted by moonshoes View Post
It completely depends on the order. The teaching order (Ursulines) from my high school (mid 80s) wore knee-length blue skirts, white shirts and some wore blue habits that covered some of their hair. Most now do not wear a habit at all. I see many teaching orders that do not wear habits

There are several cloistered orders near me that wear the full habit.
sounds like mennonites/anabaptists! most people don't even know mennonites are mennonites b/c so many have gone without the covering. (I do cover though)
post #23 of 51
12/16/08 at 2:12pm
As a PP mentioned, orders were encouraged to review themselve during/after V2. The habit was one of the many things to go (nuns/brothers alike).

Now, however, the Church is blessed with a resurrgance of traditional orders that fully embrace wearing the habit and everything is symbolizes (mainly a separation from secular society. That whole "in the world, but not of it" thing)

Prayers for Vocations!
post #24 of 51
12/19/08 at 12:48pm
My aunt was a sister of St. Joseph until she died of breast cancer 9 years ago.

She left of the habit as soon as her order allowed it. (Hers was the full length penguin gig.)

She still looked like a nun though. Short hair, practical clothes, no make up.

She also took back her own name, with some trepidation since the name she had been given was one of the most beloved sisters in her mother house. (It was Sister Mary Vincentine.)

She liked moving in the world without the habit for a few reasons I think. One, the habit was uncomfortable and distracting. Two, people often couldn't feel her presence and caring when she was working with them (as an elementary school principal) because they were relating to the clothes. Three, the habit scared a lot of people.

Her definition of modesty was mostly behavioral, but included not allowing her clothes to detract from her mission.

ETA: This is something for the individual orders to decide, not for individual Catholics to weigh in on. These women are living their lives in community and service. They deserve our (Catholics) gratitude and respect regardless of the attire their community chooses. They are actual real people living their own lives, not some kind of symbols that we own.
post #25 of 51
12/19/08 at 1:05pm
Quote:
Originally Posted by PatienceAndLove View Post
Now, however, the Church is blessed with a resurrgance of traditional orders that fully embrace wearing the habit and everything is symbolizes (mainly a separation from secular society. That whole "in the world, but not of it" thing)

Prayers for Vocations!
Agreed - we pray for vocations quite a bit. If I were a nun, I'd want a habit!
post #26 of 51
12/19/08 at 5:09pm
Quote:
Originally Posted by chfriend View Post
These women are living their lives in community and service. They deserve our (Catholics) gratitude and respect regardless of the attire their community chooses. They are actual real people living their own lives, not some kind of symbols that we own.
post #27 of 51
12/19/08 at 5:39pm
Quote:
Originally Posted by spero View Post
x2!
post #28 of 51
12/21/08 at 2:41pm
me3!
post #29 of 51
12/21/08 at 3:39pm
And then there are the Holy Spirit Adoration Sisters, who dress in pink.
post #30 of 51
12/21/08 at 11:25pm
Did you click on the pics link and see the sister celebrating 75 years of vowed life. Rock on, sister!
post #31 of 51
12/21/08 at 11:33pm
Quote:
Originally Posted by Arduinna View Post
It depends on their order. Each order has their own tradition in regards to dress. Which is decided by that orders leaders, not the Vatican specifically.

You might find this book interesting The Habit: A History of the Clothing of Catholic Nuns by Elizabeth Kuhns

I started reading it a few months ago but got distracted with other books and haven't finished it yet.
Just want to say cause I am way to easily entertaind.
"Catholic Nuns"
and
"Elizabeth Kuhns"

Rhyme.
post #32 of 51
12/22/08 at 12:07am
Thread Starter 
up and i like the nuns that wear pink thats cool
post #33 of 51
12/22/08 at 1:47am
Quote:
Originally Posted by chfriend View Post
ETA: This is something for the individual orders to decide, not for individual Catholics to weigh in on. These women are living their lives in community and service. They deserve our (Catholics) gratitude and respect regardless of the attire their community chooses. They are actual real people living their own lives, not some kind of symbols that we own.
we posted at the same time, but I LOVE this!
post #34 of 51
12/22/08 at 1:51am
Quote:
Originally Posted by spero View Post
And then there are the Holy Spirit Adoration Sisters, who dress in pink.
Those are spiffy. We have Capuchin sisters around here. They wear brown.
post #35 of 51
12/22/08 at 1:53am
Thread Starter 
i was just wondering b/c i see catholic women on hear talk about covering a lot. its not like i am insulting nuns by asking the question... it was a question after all. and the Church has opinions on lots of things ... which is why i asked about this. i did not know it was up to individual orders.

asking the question does not devalue anything they do. it is rude to assume that i meant that at all. it is religious studies... studies being the operative word.
post #36 of 51
12/22/08 at 1:57am
I'm a little confused why you seem to be equating women choosing to cover as a matter of conscience with nuns covering/not covering. Could you maybe explain a little?
post #37 of 51
12/22/08 at 2:00am
Thread Starter 
i was thinking more of the women who believe that the bible says women should cover. i didn't know that any catholics other then nuns covered until reading about it on MDC.. and then i was reading about Catholic women covering because they believe it is in the bible.

ETA- also b/c i know they relaxed the beliefs about covering after Vatican ii but the nuns i knew covered until well after vatican ii and then stopped.. so i wasn't sure it there was a reason for it from a religious perspective or it was just something personal they have become more relaxed about.
post #38 of 51
12/22/08 at 2:08am
Quote:
Originally Posted by 1littlebit View Post
i was thinking more of the women who believe that the bible says women should cover. i didn't know that any catholics other then nuns covered until reading about it on MDC.. and then i was reading about Catholic women covering because they believe it is in the bible.
I guess I still don't see what individuals interpreting Scripture to read that they should cover has to do with how various orders of nuns decide to dress. The Catholic church actually does leave a good deal to conscience.

If you asked, I bet a lot of those women would feel convicted by St. Paul's instructions to cover, but not feel that it was necessarily a Biblical mandate that everyone should cover.

Another thing is, not all covering is really obvious. Some denominations have pretty standard "uniforms" as far as headcoverings go. Some women are kind of subtle about it. For example, I would consider myself covered probably 90% of the time, and always when in church. But to me, that could mean a large headband or an ornamental hair accessory that covers most of my head, because I choose to cover in a way that's between me and God. And I cover, not because I believe it's a commandment, but because I, personally, feel called to do so as an exercise in humility. And that's one of the more personal things I've shared on MDC in a long while.

ETA because I saw your ETA: I really think you're asking two different and unrelated questions-- why did some nuns stop covering, and why have some Catholic women chosen to cover.
post #39 of 51
12/22/08 at 2:15am
Thread Starter 
you might be right it could be two separate questions. and yeah the church does leave a lot to conscience ... i wasn't sure if this applied to the way religious orders dressed or not.. since for awhile all nuns were pretty covered. i never really thought about why nuns dressed the way they did until i was reading about women covering on mdc. and then i thought maybe nuns covered for the same reasons. and then i was thinking that there were catholic women besides nuns who are still covering. and then i was thinking that it is interesting that while some catholic women believe that they are called to cover and nuns have started believing they do not need to cover. and then i was wondering why they have started to cover less.

wow. that was a lot of things in a thought process lol. does it make more sense?
post #40 of 51
12/22/08 at 2:26am
I attended Catholic school, and the nuns were fully covered in 1960 and by 1968, they were wearing suits with no head covering.

For myself, as a teacher in a Greek Orthodox School, I made sure I wore long skirts, long sleeves and high neck lines. I liked the modesty that the nuns had and tried to exemplify it as a teacher of young children myself.

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