MennoNet.com

Especially note the part under "Remnant Comment". The comments are interesting too.

Missouri's 'Walking Priest' Starts New Religious Community

Somehow I find it quite appropriate for an article on clothing to appear in "The Remnant."

A friend who is a priest now (although Orthodox) had prior to becoming a priest, dressed very plain, and his teenage daughters dressed almost Amish like- well actually more modest than most Amish I see today-- I assumed it must be awkard for them to go out in public as they live in an area where no one dresses like that- but his attitude was, and he said- well seeing us, (for example in Walmart) it may be it would be the only time they think about God that day-
I think he's probably right- the distinctive does give people pause to think about God- that there are those who are still devout and devoted in such a way it is carried out from their heart, to their dress- remembering when I first started witnessing Amish after moving to Ohio, I was basically captivated by a people who were able to shun what we 'Englishers' felt so important, to dress to please the Lord, and I think there is something to be said for that.

Some people may automatically approach a priest dressed like that for prayer or guidance as the article said 'they don't punch out'- always on the job, or serving- some people might see that as to be like the Pharisees, but I don't think that was the intention at all.

ohio jones wrote:Somehow I find it quite appropriate for an article on clothing to appear in "The Remnant."

Yes as in the "Heartbeat of the Remnant" OJ? it did come up from time to time-

ohio jones wrote:Somehow I find it quite appropriate for an article on clothing to appear in "The Remnant."

I chuckled about that too.

Valerie wrote:

ohio jones wrote:Somehow I find it quite appropriate for an article on clothing to appear in "The Remnant."

Yes as in the "Heartbeat of the Remnant" OJ? it did come up from time to time-

Considering the provenance of the comment, this remnant may not have had a heartbeat.

Just a note to provide some contextual understanding of that article. The periodical itself leans heavily against the changes made by Vatican Council II. Some believe it falls just short of sedevacantism in some of its articles. Because of that the readership that enjoys such leanings will often have some unkind words about their own Catholic Church.

Generally speaking in Catholic World the pendulum is swinging back toward distinctive clothing for vowed religious. Distinctive clothing is seen as an important aspect of Matthew 5:14-16 because of the culture in which very little points our thoughts to prayer and living for God.

Regarding distinctive Anabaptist clothing coming from Catholics, I'm going to say the influences were mutual, running in both directions and both made a simpler and plainer version of secular fashion.

The priest's jackets with the standup collar and no insert resemble the Anabaptist plain coat.

My wife says that the habits of nuns and sisters with their various details sometimes resemble the cape dress. She also points to the bonnet worn by the Seton Sisters of Charity and the Little Sisters of the Poor as resembling the bonnets worn by some Anabaptist congregations.

Still, I don't recall seeing any Anabaptist ladies dressed like St. Teresa of Calcutta in her white sari with their 3 bands of blue. A number of Catholic religious habits are simpler modifications of the native garb of their country.

This thread brings to mind the apocryphal story (in Mennonite terms, a rural legend) about J.C. Wenger of Goshen College. Or maybe it was someone else, depending on who's telling the story; anyway, it goes something like this: One day he was driving on the Indiana Toll Road near South Bend, and had attained a velocity in excess of the posted limit, which attracted the attention of a state trooper. The officer pulled him over, and as he walked toward the car, looked in and saw the straight cut suit coat. "Oh, forgive me, Father. I see you're running a little late for the Notre Dame game, and I don't want to hold you up. You're free to go."

MaxPC wrote:Regarding distinctive Anabaptist clothing coming from Catholics, I'm going to say the influences were mutual, running in both directions and both made a simpler and plainer version of secular fashion.

There may be something to this, even if only a little. Most references I find to dress among the Anabaptists was that they wore the clothing of their land, though without the finery. But Leonard Verduin does relate an instance of a Catholic order where they sent out their men two by two like the Anabaptists, in homespun clothes and long beards (you defiers of God's natural gender-differentiation can take notes from your ancestors in this, lol), and those Catholics actually got driven out of some places because people thought they were Anabaptists. I'll see if I can find an online reference; otherwise I can look it up at home tonight...