Nuns On Catwalk

[islamirama]

Nuns On Catwalk
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The Polish Church is breaking new grounds to lure new recruits. (AFP Photo)

LUBLIN, Poland — Nuns, Jesuits and Capuchin friars recently sashayed down the catwalk in the main hall of a Catholic University in the southeast of Poland to lure new recruits.
"We want to show that we live simply, and that even if we sometimes dress in an old-fashioned way, our clothes are a reflection of our lifestyle," organizer Father Andrzej Batorski, a Jesuit, told Agence France-Presse ِ) AFP) on Wednesday, April 23. "We wanted via the fair to enable people to meet those who have chosen a monastic life, to show that they are just regular individuals."
The show, hosted in the Catholic University of Lublin which has a history of 90 years in religious and secular teaching and research, started with Sister Lucja of the Order of the Sacred Heart of Jesus sashaying the catwalk.
She showed off her simple yet elegant white robe and black headgear to the enraptured audience. She was followed by other nuns, Jesuits and Capuchin friars showcasing their cassocks. The show featured multimedia displays, leaflets, giveaway calendars and souvenirs from Africa and Asia.
The Polish Church is seen as the European Roman Catholic heartland, training more than a quarter of priests, monks and nuns in the continent.
Besides its religious role, the Polish Church is acting as bulwark against the authorities. It has enjoyed a significant clout since the 1989 demise of the Communism, contributing to some political changes.
Slum
The catwalk show was part of ongoing efforts by the Polish Church to new recruits in light of a slump in the number of nuns, monks and seminarians. "Ten years ago, we had 25 novice nuns," recalled Agnieszka Kranz of the Servant Sisters of Debica, a small Polish order.
"Last year we only had six."
The number of novice nuns sank down from 728 in 1998 to 468 last year while the number of new monks fell by half to 797. "For the Polish Church, this is ringing alarm bells," admitted Monsignor Wojciech Polak, who oversees recruitment.
Nearly 90 percent of Poland's 38 million population are Roman Catholics. Batorski urged the Church to seek new means to reach out to the young, saying it should speak a language they understand. Most orders have their own websites and the Jesuits have even posted a video on YouTube.
But the efforts are not bearing fruits. "I'd miss men and nuns don't use make up or color their hair," said Dominika Pietron, an 18-year-old school student.
"Religion helps you take a look at yourself, and builds confidence. But it should only be taken in small doses."
LUBLIN, Poland — Polish nuns, Jesuits and Capuchin friars sashayed down the catwalk in the main hall of a Catholic University in the southeast of Poland to lure new recruits.
"We want to show that we live simply, and that even if we sometimes dress in an old-fashioned way, our clothes are a reflection of our lifestyle," organizer Father Andrzej Batorski, a Jesuit, told Agence France-Presse ِ) AFP) on Wednesday, April 23.
"We wanted via the fair to enable people to meet those who have chosen a monastic life, to show that they are just regular individuals."
The show, hosted in the Catholic University of Lublin which has a history of 90 years in religious and secular teaching and research, started with Sister Lucja of the Order of the Sacred Heart of Jesus sashaying the catwalk.
She showed off her simple yet elegant white robe and black headgear to the enraptured audience.
She was followed by other nuns, Jesuits and Capuchin friars showcasing their cassocks.
The show featured multimedia displays, leaflets, giveaway calendars and souvenirs from Africa and Asia.
The Polish Church is seen as the European Roman Catholic heartland, training more than a quarter of priests, monks and nuns in the continent.
Besides its religious role, the Polish Church is acting as bulwark against the authorities.
It has enjoyed a significant clout since the 1989 demise of the Communism, contributing to some political changes.
Slum
The catwalk show was part of ongoing efforts by the Polish Church to new recruits in light of a slump in the number of nuns, monks and seminarians.
"Ten years ago, we had 25 novice nuns," recalled Agnieszka Kranz of the Servant Sisters of Debica, a small Polish order.
"Last year we only had six."
The number of novice nuns sank down from 728 in 1998 to 468 last year while the number of new monks fell by half to 797.
"For the Polish Church, this is ringing alarm bells," admitted Monsignor Wojciech Polak, who oversees recruitment.
Nearly 90 percent of Poland's 38 million population are Roman Catholics.
Batorski urged the Church to seek new means to reach out to the young, saying it should speak a language they understand.
Most orders have their own websites and the Jesuits have even posted a video on YouTube.
But the efforts are not bearing fruits.
"I'd miss men and nuns don't use make up or color their hair," said Dominika Pietron, an 18-year-old school student.
"Religion helps you take a look at yourself, and builds confidence. But it should only be taken in small doses."

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The Veil in Christianity: A common misconception is that Muslim women are the only ones who cover their hair. It may be true that Islam is the only religion in which most women follow its directives to cover the hair, but it is not the only religion to have such directives. It is particularly interesting to look at the case of Christianity, since Christianity is the predominant religion in the West, and it is Westerners, including observant Christians, who are often the first to criticize Islam because of the hijab (modest dress, including headcovering).
Do Any Christian Women Today Cover Their Heads? It is true that most Christian women do not, and many don't take other teachings of the Bible (against pre-marital sex, adultery, etc) literally either. However, there do seem to be a growing number of Christian women out there who are committed to following the Bible as it is written. Below are some webpages that I found that call for Christian women to cover their heads in accordance with the commandment of the Bible.


According to the Scriptures: Headcovering
Biblical Headcovering: The Scarf of Hidden Power
Christian Women's Headcovering Directory
Headcoverings and the Christian Woman
Is a Woman's Hair Her Only Covering?
Let Her Be Veiled
Modesty and Christian Living in the 90s
My Testimony Regarding the Headcovering
Nigerian Catholics told to be modest
No Such Custom?
On the Covering of Heads
She Maketh Herself Headcoverings
Should Christian Women Wear a Headcovering?
The Biblical Practice of Headcovering
The Christian Modesty
The Christian Veiling
The Headcoverings of Sisters
The Rites of Submission
The Significance of the Christian Woman's Veiling
The Veil
Women's Headcovering and the Glory of God
Is Covering the Hair a Religious Commandment for Christian Women?