This is a follow up of yesterday’s post ‘Why Do Young People Want Habits?’.
Again, because I think that this issue is an important one to young people who are considering a vocation to religious life, it’s probably a good idea to talk about it.
So, what about the pros and cons of wearing a habit? I’ll begin with the pros.
On the positive side, a habit contributes to simplicity. A person who wears a habit does not have to give much of her attention to clothing and can therefore give that energy to other pursuits (hopefully worthwhile ones). She doesn’t have to go shopping for clothes, and doesn’t have to concern herself with whether she has the right clothes for this or that occasion. (Being a person who really does not like shopping for clothes, or worrying over whether I have the right clothes for the right occasion, I have to admit that, for me, this is one attractive quality of the habit.)
Another positive is visibility. When Sisters wear habits, people know they are Sisters. It is an unmistakable symbol of someone’s commitment to the Church and to God. When Sisters are not visible in society, I think it makes it harder to attract new vocations.
Lastly, I think that a habit can be a reminder to the person who is wearing it. By this, I don’t mean to imply that those of us who are not wearing habits are forgetting who we are. What I mean is that I think that wearing clothing that is particular to a person’s identity can act as a subtle but concrete reminder throughout the day of the commitment she has made. There is something to be said for being clothed in the garb of one’s identity.
One of the possible drawbacks to the wearing of the habit is the tendency for others to forget that the person wearing it is just a human being like everyone else.
I was intrigued by an article that appeared on another blog called: “A Nun’s Life” authored by Sr. Julie Vieira, IHM. (www.anunslife.org) The article appeared in the Washington Post and was entitled:
“Buzzworthy Sisters in Habits Headed to Va. School”
It is about the Nashville Dominicans, a community of habited Sisters, opening a school in Northern Virginia. Here is what some of the parents said about the idea of having their children taught by Sisters in habits:
“I’d love my children to be taught by a nun! It’s just unheard of, especially in this day and age,” said DeRaymond, a 41-year-old mother of two, practically squealing. “They’re going to say ‘No’ to a nun? Not do their homework?” Meyer, 39, a mother of three, nodded in agreement: “To have them be taught by nuns in a habit — that alone will make a major difference.” (By Michelle Boorstein, Washington Post Staff Writer, Sunday, November 25, 2007; A01)
My question is why this mother thinks that a child will not say no to a Sister, and why this other mother thinks that the habit will make the difference. It’s as if they think that being a nun, and especially one in a habit, places the wearer on such a pedestal that no one would think to say no to her. To me, it feels as if they no longer view these Sisters as a mere humans, but as someone rather above it all.
(One danger in this scenario is that the person wearing the habit, in the face of such treatment,may also forget that she is human like everyone else and begin to act the part of the holier-than-thou.)
As a person who taught junior high school, with Sisters both in and out of habit, I can say that the habit may make a difference for a short time, but when the novelty wears off with the students, the habited Sister has to rely on her classroom management skills just like everyone else.
Another drawback is the whole nostalgia piece. Often when people see the habit, they are drawn to their memories, or what they have heard, of a simpler, purer, and more stable past. They may see women who are quiet, unassuming, quaint and kindly, and content to live in the shadows of a male dominated Church and society.
The problem with quaint, is that quaint is never relevant. A person who is quaint has an old-fashioned charm, is interesting, and pleasing, but is rarely a mover and a shaker.
I actually don’t think that this image is based in reality. I am troubled more because people seem to want to see Sisters in this way. The image of a Sister who will stand up to the Church hierarchy like St. Catherine of Siena, or who will fight for reform in society like Sr. Helen Prejean, or Bishop Oscar Romero, seems these days to be less attractive to people in general.
In all, however, I think that the habit has merit. Habited Sisters are in no way obligated to maintain an image that is not based in reality, and needn’t respond to attempts to put them on a pedestal. Habited Sisters have the advantage of visibility and are not burdened with having to maintain a wardrobe.
I would love to know people think. If you have any thoughts at all about this topic, please don’t hesitate to submit them in a comment.
In my next entry, I will discuss the difference between the habit and common dress. So, again, stay tuned…