Quote Originally Posted by Kiltman View Post
Thanks for the pictures. Was the traditional habit comfortable? Or, rather, why the change? Comfort, blending in, etc?
Interesting question! The habit was NOT comfortable (but this was not our reason for changing)...it was VERY HOT in the summer (I wore it the first weekend in August...even my eye brows were sweating!). The older Sisters also say that it was very cold in the winter (they did not wear coats, but, rather, a light weight black cape). Many Sisters suffered permanent damage to a nerve in the head/facial area due to the tightness of the band (white strip around the head) and still have headaches to this very day!

Now, the reason for the change: in the early 1960s ('62 to '65, I believe) there was a series of meetings of all of the bishops of the Catholic Church from around the world (these meetings are known as the Second Vatican Ecumenical Council, or, commonly referred to as Vatican II). One of many of the issues that they took up was the renewal of Religious Life (nuns, brothers and religious priests). One of their directives was for all religious congregations to "go back to their roots".
Well, our roots as Sisters of St. Joseph go back to the year 1650 in LePuy, France. When we read our original documents from our original foundation, it proclaimed that the Sister of St. Joseph was "to be dressed as the people dressed", to be dressed like "the common people". We were to do "all works of which woman is capable" (i.e., all works!) among the people. We were not to have enclosure (i.e., never leaving the convent or monastery) and we were not be distinguishable from any other person by our dress. The dress of the day for our original Sisters was the dress of the common/poor French widow...this is what came to be known as our habit!
We had never realized how our roots/origins called us to something particular like "dress as the people dress" and how our life had become somewhat distorted over time in that regard...the "habit" was the dress of the day for women in 1650 France, but certainly not in 1965 U.S.A.! SO, we did some experimenting and adapting to the directives of the Second Vatican Council, and this is why we wear "street clothes" today. We are supposed to be dressed "simply" (nothing expensive like diamonds, jewels, or other things that would be unbecoming our vows or life) and "tastefully" (no mini-skirts or revealing or provocative type clothing)and like the people.
There you have it - the dress of the Sister of St. Joseph in a nutshell!