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Holy Union Featured in Special Exhibit at Santa Clara University
The Archives and Special Collections at Santa Clara University are featuring an exhibit on the attire and uniforms of Women Religious on the 3rd floor of their library. The exhibit includes materials and artifacts from the Holy Union Sisters, Sisters of the Holy Family, and the California Province of the Jesuits Rare Book Collection. The exhibit, “Her Habits: Attire for Women Religious”, points out that “The purpose of a habit is to decenter the self and emphasize the work to be done, as well as provide an outward indication of the sisters’ vocation.” It allowed members of the faith community to identify the religious order the wearer belonged to as well as her role within the order. The collection features a number of dolls wearing an array of hand-made replicas of various habits and attire worn over the years by the Holy Union Sisters. Our own Sister Pat Mulryan created the miniature garments and hand sowed them for display initially on the second floor of our Groton, MA convent, which was eventually turned into the Holy Union Heritage House. They reflect various styles which changed over the years, as well as the different attire worn by novices and postulants as they advanced through their formation. To learn more about the this specific exhibit, click this link: “Arthur’s Attic: Santa Clara University Archives and Special Collections”. To learn more about Santa Clara’s Women’s Religious Archives click HERE.
Click on the images below of the collection on display in Santa Clara archives (first three images). as well as from our museum which was on the second floor of our convent in Groton MA.
The white band on the left served as the top most part of the black veil worn by the figure on the right.
The large figure on the right is in the most commonly known habit of our US Sisters. The small figure on the bottom shelf left wears the attire of a woman in formation.
The white habit on left was initially worn by our missionary Sisters in Cameroon. The figure on the right wears the post-Vatican II modified habit.
From Holy Union Heritage House in Groton, MA – l to r – habits which identified where you were in your formation ending with a professed Sister far right
From Holy Union Heritage House in Groton, MA – l to r Missionary Habit, modified habits – Postulant Habit, Novice Habit, Professed Habit
From Holy Union Heritage House in Groton, MA – Our Holy Union Orchestra shortly before habits began to be modified and ultimately eliminated after Vatican II.
From Holy Union Heritage House in Groton, MA – our Superior General’s over the years – you can see the eveolution of dress.
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