My brother who is not religious nor cares about habits, told me that he had seen “some guy” making signs over my dying father. I asked my brother if the person was a priest. My brother replied that the man was not a priest as he was not dressed like one. I concluded that my father had not received the sacraments.

I called a priest, (one who looks and behaves like one)to give my father the last rites. That made me feel better and I am sure my father felt better as well upon seeing a priest administering to him.

It was only after a while, that I found out that my father had received the last rites from the priest in jeans when a patient addressed this man in jeans as Father. I then asked him if he had given my dad the last rites and he confirmed it.

Guess where I stand as to whether priests and nuns should be recognizeable?

The modern view on habits is mixed. I spent years with the Benedictines years ago, once wore my habit to Mass at my home parish church when visiting, and was told by a priest that “This just isn’t done!” (male religious wearing habits on the street)

Have seen nuns in secular dress with tiny veils perched on bouffant hairdo’s (odd, considering that veils are worn to cover the hair) and many other habit-related oddities over the years. Interestingly, nuns who wear traditional habits (in my experience) seem to have no problem interacting with those layfolk whom they serve and work with. And yet many orders dumped the habit because it “interfered” with this interaction. The habit makes a statement, serves as a visible “witness”, unifies communities in a tangible way, and attracts people to it.

I remember priests back in the 60’s and 70’s, removing their collars when speaking to youth groups and saying things like, “Don’t call me Father Bill, call me Bill”. We liked friendly priests (and nuns) of course, but didn’t want them AS friends, in a chummy, “equal” sort of way. We wanted – needed – to have the option to relate to them AS priests and nuns. Habits, in some way, can facilitate this. They define, demarcate, and provide a sense of continuity in a Church that has gone through so much change, good and bad.

I know of a number of male communities which have had numerous new members enter in recent years… many of whom discerned that the way of life was not as they imagined it would be and soon left or were asked to leave. Most religious communities in the US in the 40s, 50s and early 60s experienced an historically unprecedented increase in numbers. Many build those large structures to house the influx only to find themselves years later wondering what to do with the oversize structures when the numbers “settled down.”

It will be an interesting time we have in heaven (God willing) when we are finally able to see clearly what we only see darkly here.

They are all growing, some of them bursting at the seams and being forced to build larger houses or expand, and they all wear habits. Even if it is just pure coincidence, it struck me. While orders that dont have the habit are slowly dwindling in numbers ( I have not seen a non habited order that is GROWING) these orders, with their habits and latin, litergy of the hours and adoration, manage to attract and keep young women. (check the web sites, they are full of young, well-educated women)