11/8/2023 0 Comments Nun clothesPeople would see the giant hoods and would call them capuchins-‘the ones who wear the big hoods.’”Ī Capuchin’s cord, he added, is tied with three knots that symbolize their vows to observe the evangelical counsels of poverty, chastity and obedience. “In Italian, the word capuche means hood. “Our hood helped to give us our name,” explained Father Joseph Mary Elder, 37, local vocations director for the Capuchins. Francis of Assisi left his life of privilege for one of poverty and preaching and established the Order of Friars Minor, he took on the clothes of a penitent: a hooded brown robe in the shape of a cross tied with a cord around the waist.Ĭapuchin Franciscans who reformed the order 300 years later to return to the ideals of simplicity and prayer that had been lost over the years, continue to wear this same habit today. “You get a habit and that’s all you’re wearing.” “Wearing the habit is also a sign of poverty,” Mother Maria Michael said. Benedict founded the order, the oldest in the Church. Clothing does express your heart.”īenedictines wear black tunics, she explained, both as a sign of penitence and because it was the cheapest fabric in the fifth century, when the Italian St. There is a certain dignity that goes along with wearing the habit … a certain nobility you are expected to carry. “If people wear jeans and T-shirts they act differently than if they are dressed up in a suit. The veil and coif cover the nun’s hair, which the Scriptures call a woman’s “adornment,” to protect her from vanity and to remind her that she is given fully to God, the abbess said. “You put the veil on and you know you belong to (God),” Mother Maria Michael said. The veil is the sign of the nun’s consecration. A yoke is usually carried by two: we carry half and Christ carries the other half.” “The scapular represents our commitment to conversion-to take on the yoke of the Lord, which is sweet. “The belt reminds us that Christ wore chains,” she said, referring to his obedience. The beautiful blessings, she added, explain each item’s meaning and help the nun to live her vocation as a bride of Christ. “Every piece of garment you have is blessed,” said Mother Maria Michel Newe, 55, the abbess. Fully professed nuns also wear a white veil under the black one. Under the veil is a white headdress called a coif, which frames the nun’s face. Walburga in Virginia Dale, the nun’s habit consists of a tunic, belt, scapular and veil, which are all black. The donning of a religious habit signifies taking on a new life in Christ and the recipient is exhorted to “put on the new man who is created according to God’s image” (Col 3:10).Īt the Benedictine Abbey of St. “Through the ages,” she writes, “the consecrated dress code has varied little from the plain, wide-sleeved tunic, belt, scapular (an apron that hangs from front and back), cloak and simple footwear, the only difference being in the style of headgear (for women).” Since the early Church, men and women who want to give their lives to God have donned modest, austere clothing to reflect their spiritual commitment, notes author Elizabeth Kuhns in her book, “The Habit: The History of Clothing of Catholic Nuns.” Religious habits are among the most recognized sacred symbols as for centuries they’ve proclaimed that the wearer is consecrated to God. The theme of the year is “Wake Up the World.” This is an installment of an occasional series on various aspects of consecrated life during the Year of Consecrated Life, which will continue through Feb.
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