I remember the slim priests of my youth wearing those black cassocks - looking like Omar Sharif in Lawrence of Arabia. How fascinating they seemed. And the nuns in their habits - so clean, so austere and medieval. How it enriched the minds of children! We wondered about their hair color, how short was it? What did they eat when they returned to the convent after school and what did their bedrooms look like? The great short story writer Edna O’Brien captured it brilliantly in her classic story “Sister Imelda.” Now, they all look like they’re going to paint the garage.
Our pastor often wears his cassock, although he is no longer “slim”. :) There are also Carmelite nuns at another Parish I sometimes attend. They run the school and are always in their habits. A number of them are under 40 and always seem to have a smile on their face.