Breaking the Habit

What image appears in your mind when you think of a religious sister? Most people picture a sister as a lady dressed from head to toe in a habit of some kind depending on which order she is a part of. However, we do not see many sisters dressed in the traditional habits anymore, and that is upsetting to some individuals. However, others view it as a blessing.

During the years of 1962 through 1965, the Second Vatican Council took place, and an end result of it was that the congregations of religious sisters around the world would not be required to enforce the wearing of the habits among the sisters. The reasoning behind this particular product of the council was because the Church wanted to “modernize” different aspects within itself. Therefore, wearing a habit became a choice and not a requirement.

This decision upsets people to this day. Many believe that when a sister is in a habit, she is easily identifiable as someone who is there to provide assistance to others and lend a helping hand. Contrary to popular belief, the habit is attractive to many young women who are discerning the religious life. For example, about a year ago, I was seriously discerning the consecrated life. What I truly desired in my potential community was to be able to wear the habit with my fellow sisters. I wanted to be able to walk the streets of whatever city my convent was in and provide a sense of comfort for the lay people in my presence.

It was of great importance to me that I be easily identified if I became a sister. The sight of a habit brings people back to a simpler time, when the traditional values were upheld more strictly than they are now. Sisters are considered to be the “brides of Christ;” therefore, they should be in a habit and a veil in order to fit that sacred role.

On the other hand, there are many individuals who would prefer to see sisters clothed in what lay people wear. Their reasoning is that if the sisters wear these clothes, they fit in better with the laity and are able to connect to them more easily than the habited sisters. But how would you know who is a sister and who is not? The sisters wear a ring because they are the “brides of Christ,” and many wear pendants that identify what order they are a part of. Even though the ring and pendant aren't as obvious as the habits are, these sisters can still be identified as sisters by the lay.

While habits, rings, and pendants are how most people identify a sister, they do not define who a sister is. A sister is not considered to be “more holy” if she is wearing a habit or vice versa. We live in a world of beautiful women who have devoted their lives to Christ in this way. Sisters are cherished because of the services, prayer, and love they provide to the communities in which they inhabit.