Servants of God's Love

[katherineH]

I've just learned about this community and am intrigued.  I know that not wearing the habit is often perceived as a form of defiance towards the Magisterium, but these sisters are with the CMSWR which are more traditional.  Thoughts? Has anyone ever visited with them before? Thanks

 

http://www.servantsofgodslove.net/ 

[NadaTeTurbe]

Not wearing the habit is not a form of defiance towards the Magisterium. It's the decision that every community take, it is then writted in their constitution who are approved by the church, if the constitution say "we don't wear an habit but a cross/pin's", and the church say yes, then it is okay and not an act of defiance. An act of defiance would be to disobey to the constitution, like if the constitution say "wear an habit and a cross" and the sisters just wear the cross, it is bad. Also from the pictures, the servant wears an habit, they have all the same habit (blue dress) and a cross. And as you say, they are member of the CMSWR who is a good reference. I think I remember from the vocation directory of CMSWR that the have some communities who don't wear a "visible" habit, like the society devoted to the Sacred Heart, etc... 

They have a foster care house, and it's amazing ! It takes a lot of courage to do that. 

 

[dominicansoul]

They do wear a habit, just not what we are used to seeing...

 

They used to visit the DSMME mother house often.  The two communities are good friends.

[beatitude]

Thank you for sharing the link to these sisters - I have just been reading the personal vocation stories they have on their site and I am very uplifted and encouraged!

[Yaatee]

Not wearing the habit is not a form of defiance towards the Magisterium. It's the decision that every community take, it is then writted in their constitution who are approved by the church, if the constitution say "we don't wear an habit but a cross/pin's", and the church say yes, then it is okay and not an act of defiance. An act of defiance would be to disobey to the constitution, like if the constitution say "wear an habit and a cross" and the sisters just wear the cross, it is bad. Also from the pictures, the servant wears an habit, they have all the same habit (blue dress) and a cross. And as you say, they are member of the CMSWR who is a good reference. I think I remember from the vocation directory of CMSWR that the have some communities who don't wear a "visible" habit, like the society devoted to the Sacred Heart, etc... 

They have a foster care house, and it's amazing ! It takes a lot of courage to do that. 

 

​Many 19th c . women's communities said in their constitutions that they were to wear the dress of poor women of their time. This, like the famous cornet of the Daughters of Charity in France, did not change with time, and became synonymous with the order. The fluted caps of the Society of the Sacred Heart, The Sacred Hearts of Jesus and Mary, Religious of the Cenacle, and a number of others, all reflected the garb of 19th c. French women, and all remained unchanged (requiring substantial upkeep) until Vatican II.  Obeying their constitutions and at the urging of the Vatican, all of these communities modernized their habits, some changing into modern, revised habits, some into street clothes.  All wear some sort of external identification.  Some dress for the tropical climates in which they work.   Wearing or not wearing the habit does not reflect defiance to Rome.  Young discerners like habits, older discerners not so much. I notice that women in Asia and Africa prefer simplified habits.

[NadaTeTurbe]

​Many 19th c . women's communities said in their constitutions that they were to wear the dress of poor women of their time. This, like the famous cornet of the Daughters of Charity in France, did not change with time, and became synonymous with the order. The fluted caps of the Society of the Sacred Heart, The Sacred Hearts of Jesus and Mary, Religious of the Cenacle, and a number of others, all reflected the garb of 19th c. French women, and all remained unchanged (requiring substantial upkeep) until Vatican II.  Obeying their constitutions and at the urging of the Vatican, all of these communities modernized their habits, some changing into modern, revised habits, some into street clothes.  All wear some sort of external identification.  Some dress for the tropical climates in which they work.   Wearing or not wearing the habit does not reflect defiance to Rome.  Young discerners like habits, older discerners not so much. I notice that women in Asia and Africa prefer simplified habits.

​This is a cliché about the young discerners. I'm a young discerner and I don't specially like habit (big habit), and I know many more who are not fond of it. We just don't speak about it  

[Yaatee]

I stand corrected --(love that one.)

It is true, I think, that the habit has its attractions, especially beautiful ones like  Nashville and DMME, which are v similar. They are recognizable, are a witness, people come up to them and ask for prayers.  They are also hot, and in the old days were hard to maintain, tho' I doubt that this is true of today's.

[NadaTeTurbe]

I believe that for most communit (especially with an active apostolate, like the dominicans you are speaking about), there's now a balance. Most of them are less hot than a burka or islamic veil, where women have to wear close-fitting habits with the hijab/niqab (and sitar at worst !!)...  

Also, many young discerners are attracted to habits, but they soon learn there's more than that. And as someone who want to study history of costume (how people dress through the time and societies is fascinating), I can't blame people who post nun in habits pictures :D 

[Nunsuch]

Most communities in the United States do not wear habits--this is not true of all parts of the world, but it is in the US and Canada. Again, this is not a judgment of "right" or "wrong," just of fact. Many of the newer communities do, but they are relatively small. In general, the majority of communities belonging to CMSWR wear habits (not all, as we see here), and the majority of those in LCWR do not. LCWR still represents the majority of sisters in the United States.

[Yaatee]

I believe that for most communit (especially with an active apostolate, like the dominicans you are speaking about), there's now a balance. Most of them are less hot than a burka or islamic veil, where women have to wear close-fitting habits with the hijab/niqab (and sitar at worst !!)...  

Also, many young discerners are attracted to habits, but they soon learn there's more than that. And as someone who want to study history of costume (how people dress through the time and societies is fascinating), I can't blame people who post nun in habits pictures :D 

​Well, let's not compare habits to Islamic dress!  Also consider that women must wear them, often BLACK, with little visibility in sweltering parts of the world.  And usually pregnant.

Yes, the history of costume is very interesting.. Something to make one a true feminist. Consider the corsets, bustles and crinolines of the last 1.5 centuries.  No wonder women were fainting all of the time.  Consider canning hundreds of pounds of produce in the sweltering heat of late summer, wearing a long full gathered skirt, (usually in an outdoor kitchen).  Religious habits were not free of this. The original habit of the Sisters of Mercy weighed over twenty pounds! Look at the old daguerreotypes of nuns--oceans of fabric.

[Nunsuch]

When a group of Sisters in Texas wrote to their Bavarian motherhouse in the 19th century, for permission to make their serge habit out of cotton, instead, the superior accused them of lapsing into "laxity." Three years later, they had their first visitation from Bavaria (the assistant general)--it was in the summer. Within an hour of her arrival, she authorized the modification of using cotton.  

[katherineH]

I found a post on their website about their habit:

http://www.servantsofgodslove.net/the-sgl-blog/sometime-we-can-be-quick-to-judge

I read that they started off as an intentional community and are in the process of becoming a recognized order, so that might also explain why they don't have a traditional habit with a veil.