What's especially sad from the period after Vatican II, is that so many hundreds of Orders and congregations of nuns (particularly in France, Spain, and Italy) discarded their totally unique and beautiful original habits in favor of short dresses in drab gray, black, blue, white and tiny veils....or worse, turned adopted layclothes. I did alot of research once for a priests (d. 2005) who wrote a book about religious Orders of nuns, and he gathered information that at once time-before Vatican II- the Church had about 15 Orders of nuns in Europe which wore purple, maroon, or red habits...or those colors played an important part in their vesture. In addition, there were even more that had habits in royal blue, blue, light blue, combinations of blue, black, or white. Grey, brown, beige, tan, were also used, as well as the more familiar brown, white, and of course...black. There was even a cloistered Order of Spanish nuns that wore pink (just like the Pink Sisters who have houses in the USA). But these Spanish nuns had black scapulars. Today, they wear the same habit, but in all black. USA congregations of nuns seem to have had the least imagination in design or colors of habits, for except for a handful that used blue, most were brown or black...with a few using gray. Regardless however, very few retain these habits today, and an unfortunatly large proportion have adopted layclothes. Thank goodness for these Polish nuns (many of whose Orders still have the old habits). I hope this community never alters their beautiful habit, and grows with many vocations. These and others like them are our Churches real nuns.
JP: do you know the significance of the purple cincture?
ReplyDeleteIt's very beautiful. Nice color combination.
ReplyDeleteWhat's especially sad from the period after Vatican II, is that so many hundreds of Orders and congregations of nuns (particularly in France, Spain, and Italy) discarded their totally unique and beautiful original habits in favor of short dresses in drab gray, black, blue, white and tiny veils....or worse, turned adopted layclothes.
I did alot of research once for a priests (d. 2005) who wrote a book about religious Orders of nuns, and he gathered information that at once time-before Vatican II- the Church had about 15 Orders of nuns in Europe which wore purple, maroon, or red habits...or those colors played an important part in their vesture. In addition, there were even more that had habits in royal blue, blue, light blue, combinations of blue, black, or white. Grey, brown, beige, tan, were also used, as well as the more familiar brown, white, and of course...black. There was even a cloistered Order of Spanish nuns that wore pink (just like the Pink Sisters who have houses in the USA). But these Spanish nuns had black scapulars. Today, they wear the same habit, but in all black.
USA congregations of nuns seem to have had the least imagination in design or colors of habits, for except for a handful that used blue, most were brown or black...with a few using gray.
Regardless however, very few retain these habits today, and an unfortunatly large proportion have adopted layclothes.
Thank goodness for these Polish nuns (many of whose Orders still have the old habits).
I hope this community never alters their beautiful habit, and grows with many vocations.
These and others like them are our Churches real nuns.
Very nice & impressive posting. I liked it very much . Others will like it also. Good luck with your work.
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http://it.wikipedia.org/wiki/Suore_Francescane_della_Famiglia_di_Maria
ReplyDeletehttp://www.siostryfranciszkanki.pl/index.php?option=com_rsgallery2&Itemid=56&catid=12