Bring Back Men in Black

Fr. Damian Ference sees a comeback of the cassock:

Generation X and millennial Catholics have never experienced a pre-Vatican II church and don't carry around the baggage of the previous generation when dealing with the issue of religious garb. Habits and collars are not oppressive or clerical, but courageous, especially in the post-scandal era. As a matter of fact, the first time I ever wore my cassock at a youth gathering at my first parish, the young people thought I looked like Neo from The Matrix.
...
I have never been embarrassed to be recognized as a Roman Catholic priest. Sure, I have been persecuted at times because of my clothing, but the gospel tells us that such is to be expected. I can't begin to count the number of times I have heard Confessions, anointed the sick, or simply reminded someone that God is not dead precisely because I was wearing my clerics.

When I first arrived in France I wasn't quite sure what to expect of Catholicism here; I'd heard of the faith dying in Europe, the beautiful but empty churches, and the hostility to tradition. I've since been gratified to experience thriving parishes, to hear truth being taught from the pulpit, and to see priests wearing clericals in the streets of Dijon.

Don't miss the poll at the end of the article.
(via Dawn Eden)