Orders That Are Growing

[Gabriela]

[quote name='emmaberry' timestamp='1345191082' post='2469044']
Not to mention that it's $25!!!
[/quote]

What? I got it for free. Anyone who wants it, just message me with your email address and I'll attach it to an email. It's a PDF file.

[she_who_is_not]

The Sisters of Christian Charity have always had a steady stream of vocations, even in the bust years. Currently, they have 3 novices and 4 postulants. Except, the postulants were probably just clothed, so 7 novices and idk postulants.

[url="http://www.scceast.org/"]http://www.scceast.org/[/url]

[mantellata]

[quote name='MichaelKoenigTalidong' timestamp='1345202930' post='2469085']

Society Devoted to Sacred Heart
[url="http://www.sacredheartsisters.com/home.html"]http://www.sacredhea...s.com/home.html[/url]

Archbishop Jose Gomez celebrated the first profession of their six novices recently. For a lapel/pin sisters that's an amazing number.
[/quote]



Well they don't have a veil but they certainly have a habit -- just a non monastic one. ... a wee bit more than a lapel pin.

[AnneLine]

These sisters aren't what you are terming 'lapel pin' sisters (a term I would prefer we would lose - see separate comment).

These sisters were founded in Hungary during the Communist period, and were NEVER habit-wearing sisters. They were NEVER able to wear their habits in Hungary, and the Vatican has always understood what they are wearing, why they are wearing it, and has APPROVED of what they are doing.

They have very distinctive, individualized pins that are actually part of their spirituality and have ALWAYS been what the symbol of their religious consecration hs been. I'll see if I can find an article about it - I know I have read about it before.

[To Jesus Through Mary]

Servants of the Lord and the Virgin of Matara

http://www.ssvmusa.org/

They have over 1000 (young) sisters. They have only been around since '88.

[AnneLine]

With great respect to all of you, and hoping I will not ignite a fire storm, I want to say something.

The whole 'lapel pin' thing as a way of describing some religious communities is something that really bothers me. To me it feels as if it is intended in a pejorative, disrespectful manner, and I really have a problem with it when we are discussing God's consecrated women.

I am a married, secular order member of a mendicant order. We wear a 'habit' under our clothing, and have the privilege of wearing the pin of our Order externally... but I don't choose to do so. Why? For two reasons: First, because so many religious sisters do so, it simply is too confusing for people. So I understand why some of you don't like it that many of the religious institutes have chosen to make a distinctive pin their 'habit'. I might even agree with you... and if I were looking for a religious community for myself I would want one that had more of a distinctive habit (although I might give the Society Devoted to the Sacred Heart more than one look!)

HOWEVER.... let me tell you my second reason. I've been on the receiving end of more than a few VERY nasty comments and slurs about how horrible it was that "I" wasn't wearing my habit. A number of total strangers have felt it was OK to tell me that they didn't think I was a good enough religious sister. I had one woman actually scream at me on the bus that I should be ashamed to be out from beind my cloister wall. Needless to say, my husband would have been surprised. Now.... I know people feel strongly about habits, but that really was uncalled for (and certainly didn't do much to bolster anyone's opinion of the Church)... and it hurt like hell. And it has left me UNWILLING to wear my Secular Order pin. Nice going, lady.... You just got someone to NOT wear a distintive sign....

There was a time when there wasn't a distinction between a Secular Order and a Third Order religious -- we were all the same thing. And I would have had the privilege of wearing my Order's habit, and no one would have thought it bad. I would have loved that. However, that time has changed, and I am at peace with what the Church asks of us in 2012.

Most of the religious communities that were founded in the last 200 years didn't have a distinctive habit - they wore the clothing of the poor, or the clothing of widows... or just what people wore in that time. A lot of them adopted either the clothing of women in their times (and remember, women were all wearing black because Queen Victoria was in mourning, so all fashionable women were, too....), or they dressed to look like their foundresses, and added some kind of a head dress -- again, often adapted from widow's clothing or the clothing of peasants. (Rather like what M. Teresa did with the Missionaries of Charity in the last century.....). And those garments became distinctive after the community was approved, and became the habits of the communities. Many of them were beautiful... and some were just plain odd. I can drop in some pictures if you want some samples of odd.

It may or may not have made sense to keep those distinctive looking habits. Some of them caused serious health problems. Some of them weighed over 30 lbs!!! Many of them took hours and hours and hours to maintain. Many weren't sanitary for those working around the sick. It wasn't uncommon for the habits to be washed two or three times a YEAR. That is why the Vatican asked the sisters to start making changes -- back in the 1950's.

I don't disagree that some communities went WAY too far in dropping the habits altogether, but as has been noted before, the communities that are growing tend to be the ones that are clear who they are, wear a habit (usually modified in accord with the Church's request), STRONG prayer life, have a regular community life and common apostolate. In other words, they have a religious life. Yes? Any disagreement?

I will also add that those same comments apply to me as a secular - we have a habit, we have a regular prayer life and community life, and a common apostolate. We also looked at and modified our Rule & Constitutions -- and we don't wear full habits at our meetings any more. (We did 70 years ago!) We don't wear a VISIBLE habit.... because that is not what God has asked of us. We are seculars.

Bottom line, I have no issue with describing sisters as 'habited' or 'non-habited' -- because those are descriptive terms. 'Lapel-pin' feels pejorative to me... others may disagree.

Edited August 17, 2012 by AnneLine

[emmaberry]

[quote name='AnneLine' timestamp='1345227856' post='2469254']
HOWEVER.... let me tell you my second reason. I've been on the receiving end of more than a few VERY nasty comments and slurs about how horrible it was that "I" wasn't wearing my habit. A number of total strangers have felt it was OK to tell me that they didn't think I was a good enough religious sister. I had one woman actually scream at me on the bus that I should be ashamed to be out from beind my cloister wall. Needless to say, my husband would have been surprised. Now.... I know people feel strongly about habits, but that really was uncalled for (and certainly didn't do much to bolster anyone's opinion of the Church)... and it hurt like hell. And it has left me UNWILLING to wear my Secular Order pin. Nice going, lady.... You just got someone to NOT wear a distintive sign....
[/quote]

I agree with your post, so no comment on that, but my reading comprehension is failing me right now. Can you restate/explain the above? I don't really understand the situation. Did she not know you were a secular/3rd order (proper term?) so she harped on you for not wearing the habit, and so now you understand how non-habited sisters feel? Or was it more of a situation where this woman wanted you as a secular/3rd order member to be wearing the full habit? Thanks for the clarification!

[AnneLine]

Thanks, Emma, I thought about it didn't want to make the original post any longer.

(bad habit of mine, long posts, no pun intended....)

Sure, here's the whole story:

I was on the bus in a brown rain coat with my order's distinctive pin on my lapel. I am pretty sure I looked OK, and probably had some makeup on. I know I was NOT reading an office book or praying a rosary (altho I have done both on the bus and gotten some startled looks when local priests glanced at what I was reading, he he he); Actually, I remember I was reading a book by a veterinarian, [i]All Creatures Great and Small[/i] by James Herriot!

An elderly lady sat down next to me, and after a few moments, poked me on the sleeve. "Sister, can I talk to you." "Uh, I am not a sister, but you are welcome to talk to me." "Thank you, Sister, I really need to talk." "Uh, I am not a sister, but what can I do for you." She then proceded to tell me about something very disturbing that had happened in her apartment building over night. I listened, consoled her, and we just chatted. (Kind of like Phatmass open mic without a computer....)

After a few moments, she said, "Sister, what community do you belong to?" I smiled, and repeated, "I told you before, I am not a sister. I am a lay woman." She pointed to my pin, and then said, "but you are wearing THAT" she said, pointing to my pin. I smiled and said, "I'm not a sister. I am a lay woman, a secular who is part of the _________ order." At that moment she stood up, started yelling at me that I should be ashamed to be wearing what I was wearing, that people like me were what is wrong with the Church, that God would never forgive me for not wearing my habit, etc.

Everyone on the bus was staring at us by now.... and I tried to explain again that I was NOT a sister, and she would have none of it. She just kept pointing at me and shreaking and then said, "You are all suposed to be cloistered. You should NOT be talking with people. God will never forgive you!"... and then she stormed off the bus... leaving me and about 50 people staring at eachother.

It really was pretty traumatic, if you want to know the truth. I realize she didn't understand, and probably had no experience with a Secular Order or a Lay Order, so I don't really blame her.... but it is a pretty strong and difficult memory.

I do think it is a really good example of why it doesn't HELP to do things like this to people... it doesn't make them more likely to listen to what you are saying... and even less likely to reconsider a position.

And... it really does make me realize what a hard thing it is to wear a habit or collar in modern American society. We may think it is a beautiful thing, but I know they get a LOT of abuse for wearing it. And our Lord will reward them. I have great respect for the sisters and priests and brothers who do so... and more so after that experience.

When I am training my Secular Order aspirants, novices and temporarly professed, we discuss the effects that wearing a pin, and /or letting people know that you are a Secular Order member may have, positive and negative. Most of them feel that they DO want to be known, and some choose to wear the pin, but the choice is completely theirs..... I think that it can be as great a witness when people discover many years after knowing me what it is that makes me 'different'. I don't hide it; I just don't like to flaunt it....

I have always loved the comment that one of the Dominicans loves to quote from St. Francis :

"Preach Christ in all things. When necessary, use words."

[TheresaThoma]

I think the key to growing orders is they are [i]traditional[/i] they are faithful to the Church and their charism. For some communities that does mean wearing a habit. Other communities never had a habit and thus if they decided to wear a habit that would not be faithful to the spirit/traditions of their community. Some of these communities have have chosen to modify or not wear a habit at all for practical reasons.
From this list we can see that there are habited and non-habited communities that are growing.

It has been said before but I think it cannot be stressed enough, look into WHY a community has chosen to wear or not wear a habit. That can be very revealing and is a crucial part of discernment.

[emmaberry]

[quote name='AnneLine' timestamp='1345230269' post='2469266']
I was on the bus in a brown rain coat with my order's distinctive pin on my lapel. I am pretty sure I looked OK, and probably had some makeup on. I know I was NOT reading an office book or praying a rosary (altho I have done both on the bus and gotten some startled looks when local priests glanced at what I was reading, he he he); Actually, I remember I was reading a book by a veterinarian, [i]All Creatures Great and Small[/i] by James Herriot!

An elderly lady sat down next to me, and after a few moments, poked me on the sleeve. "Sister, can I talk to you." "Uh, I am not a sister, but you are welcome to talk to me." "Thank you, Sister, I really need to talk." "Uh, I am not a sister, but what can I do for you." She then proceded to tell me about something very disturbing that had happened in her apartment building over night. I listened, consoled her, and we just chatted. (Kind of like Phatmass open mic without a computer....)

After a few moments, she said, "Sister, what community do you belong to?" I smiled, and repeated, "I told you before, I am not a sister. I am a lay woman." She pointed to my pin, and then said, "but you are wearing THAT" she said, pointing to my pin. I smiled and said, "I'm not a sister. I am a lay woman, a secular who is part of the _________ order." At that moment she stood up, started yelling at me that I should be ashamed to be wearing what I was wearing, that people like me were what is wrong with the Church, that God would never forgive me for not wearing my habit, etc.

Everyone on the bus was staring at us by now.... and I tried to explain again that I was NOT a sister, and she would have none of it. She just kept pointing at me and shreaking and then said, "You are all suposed to be cloistered. You should NOT be talking with people. God will never forgive you!"... and then she stormed off the bus... leaving me and about 50 people staring at eachother.[/quote]

That was truly a terrible situation for you AnneLine-I am so sorry you had to go through that. it must be very hard for older people who have had to deal with all this change that has happened in their lifetime concerning the Church. I often thank God that I was born long [i]after[/i] Vatican II! It is much easier to embrace the changes wholeheartedly when it is all one has known.

Nevertheless, she was still totally wrong. The interesting thing about your story is that it is one of the few that gives me a newfound appreciation for those who both don't wear the habit and those who do-both are surely persecuted by people like the woman in your situation.

Thanks for sharing!

Edited August 18, 2012 by emmaberry