The Heralds' Habit

Just as love for one’s neighbor is truly demonstrated by external acts and faith is manifested through works (James 2:14-18), so also we should not hide the light of our faith under a bushel (Matthew 5:14–15, Mark 4:21–25 and Luke 8:16–18).

Imbued with the desire to give public witness of our faith in the world and of our consecration to the service of the Church, the Heralds dress in a manner that reflects the ideal of sanctity to which every baptized person is called. This witness is a powerful form of evangelization.

In an age “which is often very secularized and yet sensitive to the language of signs”, the Church “seeks to make visible her presence in the world” and has the right to expect that consecrated persons bear clear witness to their faith. “The habit is a sign of consecration” and using it the Heralds become “true signs of Christ in the world.” (Vita Consacrata 25).

The habit
& its story

The habit & its story

All Heralds of the Gospel -clergy and consecrated members- wear a brown scapular over their tunic.

The scapular dates back to the first group of people (that inspired the Heralds of the Gospel) that made the first attempt in living in community at a former Benedictine house.
This house would later become the birthplace of the Heralds of the Gospel.

All those in the initial group, were also members of the Carmelite Order as tertiary members. So they wore a brown scapular over a full-length brown tunic.
In memory of its Carmelite roots, the Heralds of the Gospel continue to wear the brown scapular as part of their own habit.

Main Chapel of the Mother House
Heralds of the Gospel Clerical Habit
Habit of the Clergy

The sober and austere brown tunic is reserved for the clerical members, priests and deacons, of Heralds of the Gospel.

The consecrated women of the Heralds of the Gospel wear a gold colored tunic below their scapular.

Heralds of the Gospel Habit of the Sisters
Habit of the Sisters
Heralds of the Gospel Brothers singing the Creed
Habit of the Brothers

The consecrated laymen and seminarians of the Heralds of the Gospel wear a white tunic below their scapular.

The Cowl
& the Cross

The Cowl & Cross

The cowl or hood used by the clergy and consecrated laity living in community is a sign and constant invitation to a life of contemplation through prayer and listening to the voice of God speaking in their interior.

The cross used by the Heralds is inspired by the cross of Santiago de Compostela: the quintessential symbol of the pilgrim in search of the Father’s house.

This cross has been slightly stylized to represent the flowers that blossom from the cross; that is, the pain and suffering symbolized by the cross and spikes, when borne with a Christian spirit of hope, blooms into joy and sweetness. 

The colors of the cross have also been changed. While the original is entirely red, the Heralds’ cross is red and white, vertically divided by a golden band.
White represents purity of mind and body, the image of the innocence of the Immaculate Lamb;
red, love and sacrifice, until the total holocaust of oneself, as the shedding of precious blood of Sacrificial Lamb;
and gold, the beauty and excellence of the state of holiness to which all the baptized are called by Christ the Savior.

The cross extends the full length of the scapular worn by the Heralds. From the shoulder to the knees, indicating that those who want to follow Christ must learn to bear the cross in its entire length, as commanded by the Divine Master: “If someone one would come after me, let him deny himself, take up his cross and follow me” (Luke 9:23).

The Chain

The Chain

The chain, worn around the waist, represents the “true devotion” to the Blessed Virgin preached by Saint Louis de Montfort.

He invites devotees of Our Lady to consecrate themselves as “slaves of love” to Jesus through Mary’s hands and to demonstrate this act of devotion by wearing a small chain on one’s wrist or neck.

The Rosary

The Rosary

If unceasing prayer (1 Thessalonians 5:17) is the most effective means to obtain favors from God (Luke 11:9), the Blessed Virgin assures us that the Rosary is among the most powerful. Its efficacy has been repeatedly demonstrated throughout history.

Saint Pius X considered it “the most beautiful and most valuable of all prayers,” and St. John Paul II called it “the greatest weapon of a Catholic.” Following the example of various religious orders, the Heralds carry a large rosary on their chain. Everyday they recite all mysteries of the rosary.

The Boots

The Boots

Perhaps the part of the Herald’s habit that arouses the most curiosity are the boots.
The men use black boots, while the women use burgundy colored boots.

 

The raison d’être is neither a need nor a special purpose. They are a symbol; they convey a message – indeed the entire habit does – they represent the missionary, who knows is not constrained by limits or by boundaries, by distances or by obstacles.

In the rain, in the mud, on the road or crossing open fields, the Heralds are constantly called to respond to the challenge of Saint Paul when he wrote: “Woe to me if I do not preach the Gospel” (1 Corinthians 9:16).

Therefore, using the habit every Herald finds an efficacious tool for the apostolate and, in the language of symbols, the expression of what they strive to be and do. However, the use of the habit is the prerogative of those who live in community, and so those who wish to wear the habit can only start using it once they live in community, even if only on a trial basis, and it has been properly bestowed in a ceremony.

Others

Red cape
For solemn celebrations, the Sisters of the Heralds of the Gospel may use over their habit a cape. In this case, red.
White cape
To embellish a ceremony, the Heralds of the Gospel may use a white cape over their habit.
Shoulder adornment
Additionally, the Heralds of the Gospel who participate in the service of any ceremony, may use a shoulder adornment over their left shoulder.
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