Nother Noonan

“… In any case, I think I’ve noticed a crude and imperfect but serviceable way to judge which women’s religious communities work, are constructive and faithful, and which are not. The more old-fashioned the habit, the more Catholic the nun. The more distinctive the dress, the more removed from the world, and the more faithful. A nun in a veil probably prays; a nun in a two-piece suit with nothing on her head but a gray crewcut is somewhat more likely to be thinking of spirit winds and new ways to refer to Jesus as ‘she.’ ” (John Paul the Great, by Peggy Noonan, pg. 179)

I like this quote. I’ve read similar sentiments in places to many to count in the Catholic blogosphere, and I believe statistics support the trend that more “old-fashioned” and more faithful communities are growing while more “free-spirited” communities are in sharp decline. And that line – “nothing on her head but a gray crewcut” – is awesome!