AFTER reading the stories on National Vocation Awareness Week 2013 in The Catholic Leader (August 11) I have a few questions regarding religious habits.
As a young person discerning a religious vocation one of big things I noticed is that it is rare to find sisters that wear habits.
Looking at photos from the 1950s and ‘60s I see a majority of young nuns wearing habits.
When I look at photos now I see a majority of older nuns not wearing habits.
I am wondering whether when young women joined in the ‘50s and ‘60s, did you wear habits, and if so, is that one of the things that attracted you to the religious life?
For me, religious sisters are those who are espoused to Christ, and have dedicated their lives to his service in the Church.
This is carried out by community prayer and apostolic work whether this work is in an enclosed convent, or out in the world.
Sisters of a specific order are joined by sharing the same habit and by living in community –like the apostles – sharing the daily tasks, and eating and praying together.
The habit is the outward sign that they are consecrated to God – it distinguishes religious from lay people, and it unites the religious in a common identity.
I am wondering why it is so rare to find sisters that wear habits?
I find it is a big part of identity – sisters in habits are like army personnel in uniform – it is part of being who you are, and it is a witness to others.
I understand that in some social situations it seems more beneficial to wear ‘civvies’, but sisters in habits is so rare that it seems this cannot be the primary motive.
Why don’t nuns/sisters wear habits any more?
Most sisters look just like everyone else, and are seen to do exactly the same things, so it is often hard to tell if the person you are talking to is a religious sister or not.
A majority of religious are just like my grandparents – in fact, my grandma often gets asked if she is a nun.
If a girl never sees someone who looks like a nun, she probably won’t consider being one herself.
Overall, there seems to be a lack of distinction between religious and lay people.
This naturally leads to a decline in vocations to the religious life because this vocation doesn’t look any different to anything else and other young people are getting married, but you don’t see young people entering religious orders.
NANCY WEBB (Age 17)
Toowoomba, QLD
