Consecrated Virginity Discernment

[truthfinder]

1 hour ago, DominicanHeart said:

St. Kateri Tekawitha I believe was one?

She was not formally consecrated as the rite was in disuse by that time. She did make a vow of chastity (with a few other devout women) - but mostly because they were not permitted to become nuns. 

[OnlySunshine]

What about:

St. Clare of Assisi, St. Catherine of Siena, or St. Rose of Lima

I know the last 2 were virgins who were Third Order Dominicans, but I'm not 100% sure about St. Clare.

[LittleDiana]

1 hour ago, OnlySunshine said:

What about:

St. Clare of Assisi, St. Catherine of Siena, or St. Rose of Lima

I know the last 2 were virgins who were Third Order Dominicans, but I'm not 100% sure about St. Clare.

St. Clare is the foundress of franciscan nuns, so I would say she is considered a nun.

I think it depends on what you mean by "Virgin". Stricto sensu Consecrated Virgins are those who have been consecrated in a ceremony presided by the local bishop. In this case, the only ones I can think about is the virgins of the first centuries. In a broader sense, those women who never married and lived a life of celibacy, as nuns, sisters or lay women, are inscribed as "virgins" in the martirology.

In my opinion St. Rose and St. Catherine are a special case (The last one had a mystical marriage with Christ): most Third Order's members on their times were celibates.

For all that I have read about consecrated virginity nowadays, it is considered a unique vocation. Now I wonder if a vocation to consecrated virginity is considered compatible with being member of a Lay Fraternity or Third Order (Maybe someone addressed this before and I didn't see it. If so, I apologize)

 

[MiserereMeiDeus]

@Sponsa-Christi would you help us with these questions? I don't feel confident in the knowledge I have at this point to teach others as I am still learning myself. I think I can say, which is probably the obvious, that consecrated virginity is a form of religious consecration and doesn't fall under laity. Unlike the laity and those in religious life, they are under vows or promises which can be dispensed but those who are consecrated virgins are consecrated which is different than a vow and can't be dispensed. 

[Sponsa-Christi]

Okay, to try to get to questions:

9 minutes ago, MiserereMeiDeus said:

I think I can say, which is probably the obvious, that consecrated virginity is a form of religious consecration and doesn't fall under laity. Unlike the laity and those in religious life, they are under vows or promises which can be dispensed but those who are consecrated virgins are consecrated which is different than a vow and can't be dispensed. 

It's correct that consecration to a life virginity cannot be dispensed--or at least that's the general understanding of those who have seriously studied this vocation, which I fully agree with. 

Whether or not we consider CVs "lay" depends on how we are using the word "lay." In the Church's theology and canon law, "laity" can mean two things: 1. everyone who is not a cleric (and so in that sense, CVs would be laity--but so would a cloistered nun!); and 2. everyone who is not ordained or in a public state of consecrated life (in which sense, consecrate virgins would NOT be laypeople, just as religious aren't in this sense.)

1 hour ago, LittleDiana said:

I think it depends on what you mean by "Virgin". Stricto sensu Consecrated Virgins are those who have been consecrated in a ceremony presided by the local bishop. In this case, the only ones I can think about is the virgins of the first centuries. In a broader sense, those women who never married and lived a life of celibacy, as nuns, sisters or lay women, are inscribed as "virgins" in the martirology.

This is true. Technically, "consecrated virgins" are those who have received the Rite of Consecration from a bishop. So many nun-saints who are often identified as "consecrated virgins" aren't CVs in this strict sense. Though I hope it goes without saying that this doesn't make their dedicated virginity any less beautiful!

St. Kateri was also not, strictly speaking, a member of the Ordo Virginum, since she didn't receive the Rite. But she is actually the patroness of the U.S. Association of Consecrated Virgins because she had very similar spirituality and way of life to "official" consecrated virgins. And there is obviously nothing wrong with CVs/aspiring CVs looking to virgin-but-not-CV saints for inspiration!

Since the Rite of Consecration to a Life of Virginity for women "living in the world" was only re-introduced at Vatican II, you really aren't going to find any modern saints who were canonically members of the Ordo Virginum (there might be a nun-saint whose Order may have used the Rite, but I don't know of any). So today's CVs need to get busy in terms of growing in holiness so we can fix this lack of a modern CV saint before too long!  

On 2/12/2017 at 6:15 PM, MiserereMeiDeus said:

I talked to one of the priests at my parish and I was thrilled to find out that they do have a program for the consecrated virginity. I'm going to talk to the parish priest this weekend and hopefully be able to fill out the paper work that needs to be sent to the Bishop, and Lord willing be accepted as a candidate.

Congratulations! It's Providential that you're not actually starting from scratch in your diocese!

[Sponsa-Christi]

Also, I'm trying to revive the blog and I did recently write a new post comparing and contrasting consecrated virginity with religious life, in case anyone is interested: http://sponsa-christi.blogspot.com/2017/02/consecrated-virginity-and-religious-life.html

[MiserereMeiDeus]

59 minutes ago, Sponsa-Christi said:

Also, I'm trying to revive the blog and I did recently write a new post comparing and contrasting consecrated virginity with religious life, in case anyone is interested: http://sponsa-christi.blogspot.com/2017/02/consecrated-virginity-and-religious-life.html

Thank you, Sponsa-Christi! My meeting with Father was very encouraging as the first step. He knows about the vocation and has been the spiritual director to two consecrated virgins before. Your blog has been very helpful to me.

 

I was going through my emails, and a dear sister in Christ who is a CV wrote this to me which is about vows/consecration.

"That is not a vow but the internal disposition to remain virginal for Christ forever.  Propositio is Latin for a contract -  not a vow.  The Latin word for vow is voto.  Important because Consecrated Virgins do not take vows and therefore can never be dispensed. Somewhat like Ordinations and the Consecration of the Bread and Wine,  the celebrant calls down the Holy Spirit (Epiclesis) upon the virgin and she is consecrated, liturgically and canonically. A religious' consecration comes from the vow which can be dispensed.  While bishops are often celebrating the Mass for the Rite of religious profession,  it is not required liturgically or canonically.  The Consecrated Virgin receive this Rite of Consecrated virginity must be consecrated by the bishop of her diocese of residence. The liturgical rite calls for that as does canon 604.  That is why the diocese where you live is so important.  He is not the superior,  but he is the bishop."

 

[MiserereMeiDeus]

Dawn Hausmann is the vocations director in her Diocese of Lansing. I really enjoy her YouTube videos on consecrated life. She posts both about religious vocations and consecrated virginity. Here is my favorite: Consecrated Virginity vs. Religious life (Similarities and differences.)

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=E8htrVV-k20

 

[MiserereMeiDeus]

Blessed Holy Week to all. I came across this Consecration video and the quote from an article about it.

“One of my friends’ first questions was, ‘But what happens if you meet someone?’ ” Selkirk recalled earlier. “I said, ‘I’ve already met him, and he’s mine.’

 https://vimeo.com/171026419

 

 

Edited April 11, 2017 by MiserereMeiDeus
video trouble