Nuns Without Habits

Franciscan Sisters, TOR, Toronto, Ohio

Franciscan Sisters, TOR, "First Vows"



(Franciscan Sisters, TOR, is one of the fastest growing Franciscan Orders in America)

"Women who satisfy their vanity in their dress can never put on the life of Jesus Christ; moreover they even lose the ornaments of their soul as soon as this idol enters into their heart."

Saint Padre Pio

What did St. Padre Pio mean by that? Let's see:


Nuns Without Habits In Houston

by CVSTOS FIDEI

Today in the Houston Chronicle's Religion section there were two articles about nuns. What makes this story stick out, like most liberal articles, is that of course they interviewed "new age" nuns.

The reporter asks these nuns, the Dominican Sisters of Houston, "So, do you have to give up everything?"

The Sister responds to this question with "Do we look as if we have given up everything?",

Can I presume they have given up much more? Like contemplation, praying, and suffering in solitude?

The next question coming from the reporter is "Can you ever get married". Which the nuns never reply to but whimsically respond that questions such as these gave them reason to update their website so as to clear any confusion. The title on their website pretty much says it all, "Our habits have changed. But not our mission".

Sister Niehaus continues on by saying, "We sort of discovered that people don't know we are here or don't recognize us,". Is that because you don't look, behave, or lead a nuns life?

Here's another nun's intonation on the need to update their (web)site with emphasis mine:

Sister Hubbard, who spearheaded the project, said the sisters spent more than six months developing the site, which launched earlier this month. When they began discussing ways to update their public image, the Internet seemed the ideal place to start, said Sister Hubbard, a BlackBerry user who uses words like "hard core" and "rockin' with the music."

To view their website click here.

In the other 'nun' article also aptly titled, "This sister's spiritual journey includes study of cosmos". The Houston Chronicle reporter interviews Sister Linda Gibler who recently earned her doctorate in "philosophy and religion at the California Institute of Integral Studies, with a concentration in philosophy, cosmology and consciousness."

Yes, you read that right, "cosmology and consciousness". Oh, the article gets even better, read this very "incisive" selection (emphasis mine):

"I call myself a cosmologist, which basically is the study of the cosmos. But I studied with Brian Swimme, and he calls it 'functional cosmology,' " she said. "It's not only 'Ain't that grand?' but it's also the 'so what' of it."

Huh? So what what? Forgive me, but maybe I'm just a neanderthal Catholic with a limited vocabulary, but was anything said at all in that last sentence?

Now I wonder why people would get confused with her on this or on here appearance? (emphasis mine):

She smiles when people get confused and think she's a hairstylist. Sister Gibler patiently explains the difference between a cosmetologist and a cosmologist.

Maybe not wearing habit could be a clue to the confusion


And here's the best part of the article (again, emphasis mine):

"Long before we had Scriptures, we had Earth. God was present and taught us through Earth. That's not some pagan or New Age notion. So, how do we read this first book of revelation?"

She's already protesting what we already think!

Classic.