Vocations

What is a consecrated virgin?

Consecrated virginity is an ancient feminine vocation promoted by the Church in modern times, in which single and chaste women are mystically espoused to Christ by the diocesan bishop, dedicating themselves to prayer, service and an ascetic life according to their gifts.

Jenna Marie Cooper-January 25, 2025-Reading time: 3 minutes
consecrated virgin

Karen Bless prostrate on the day of her consecration in 2024. @OSV News/Michael Gresham, The Texas Catholic

(OSV News. Jenna Marie Cooper).

Question: What does it mean to be a "consecrated virgin", what are the rights and duties of this designation, and what is the process for becoming a "consecrated virgin"?

Answer: The Code of Canon Law defines consecrated virgins as chaste, unmarried women who "by their promise to follow Christ more closely, ... are consecrated to God, mystically espoused to Christ and dedicated to the service of the Church, when the diocesan bishop consecrates them according to the approved liturgical rite" (Canon 604).

Consecrated virginity is the oldest form of consecrated life in the Church, and predates the development of religious life by several centuries. Since apostolic times, there have always been women who chose to renounce marriage in order to dedicate their lives and hearts more fully to Jesus. For this reason, they were traditionally called and formally recognized by the Church as "brides of Christ".

Since at least the fourth century, if not earlier, the Church has had a special liturgical ritual - distinct from but in some respects parallel to priestly ordination - for bishops to solemnly consecrate women to a life of virginity. Many of our early holy martyrs, such as St. Agatha, St. Agnes, St. Lucy and St. Cecilia, who are named in one of the Eucharistic prayers of the Mass, are considered consecrated virgins.

With the development of religious orders in late antiquity, the custom of consecrating women outside monasteries fell into disuse, and in the Middle Ages the Church no longer had consecrated virgins "living in the world." But in the middle of the 20th century, the Second Vatican Council document "Sacrosanctum Concilium" called for a revision of the ancient rite of consecration to a life of virginity, and in 1970 the new ritual was promulgated. And so, in a situation similar to the revival of the permanent diaconate, the vocation of consecrated virginity was restored to the life of the modern Church.

In 2018, the Vatican published a document called "Ecclesiae Sponsae Imago," or ESI, which provided bishops with more detailed guidance on this state of life, covering topics such as discernment of vocations, formation, and the life and mission of consecrated virgins.

Consecrated virginity is a unique vocation for women because it is centered in the local diocesan Church and not in a particular religious group or community. It is the diocesan bishop who accepts women into this state of life and who ultimately acts as the "superior" of consecrated virgins in his diocese. In general, consecrated virgins are called to pray for the needs of their diocese and to serve the needs of their local church according to their own specific gifts and talents.

In paragraphs 80-103, "Ecclesiae Sponsae Imago" describes the formation process for aspiring consecrated virgins lasting between three and five years. Formation for consecrated virginity involves, among other elements: personal mentoring and spiritual direction, a certain level of academic theological study, and a gradual adoption of the lifestyle of a consecrated virgin.

Regarding the duties and obligations of a consecrated virgin, the introduction to the rite of consecration to a life of virginity states: "Let them spend their time in works of penance and mercy, in apostolic activity and prayer, according to their state of life and their spiritual gifts.

"Ecclesiae Sponsae Imago" describes more specifically that consecrated virgins are obliged to pray the Liturgy of the Hours (ESI 34) and to attend daily Mass in regions where this is possible (ESI 32). Consecrated virgins are also expected to lead a relatively ascetic life, discerning concrete penitential practices with their confessor or spiritual director (ESI 36).

Consecrated virgins do not take vows of poverty and obedience in exactly the same way as religious. However, consecrated virgins are called to live in a spirit of evangelical poverty (ESI 27) and to co-discern the main aspects of their life and mission with their bishop (ESI 28).

The authorJenna Marie Cooper

Licensed in Canon Law, consecrated virgin and canonist.

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