Short video on consecrated virgins

[Sponsa-Christi]

Here is an excellent short video on consecrated virginity from the Diocese of Arlington, VA: https://youtu.be/yQKH-ihRQb4

[katherineH]

7 hours ago, Sponsa-Christi said:

Here is an excellent short video on consecrated virginity from the Diocese of Arlington, VA: https://youtu.be/yQKH-ihRQb4

Thank you for sharing! I'm intrigued by her use of the veil during chapel. Is that common for consecrated virgins? Is it her version of a chapel veil that lay women might wear?

[Sponsa-Christi]

14 hours ago, katherineH said:

Thank you for sharing! I'm intrigued by her use of the veil during chapel. Is that common for consecrated virgins? Is it her version of a chapel veil that lay women might wear?

During the Rite of Consecration to a Life of Virginity, a consecrated virgin receives a veil from the hands of the bishop. This is one of the most ancient parts of the Rite, and the veil is historically considered the main insignia or symbol of consecrated virginity. In some countries, consecrated virgins will wear a nun-type veil in their daily life, although this isn't the general practice in the United States or western Europe. 

However, many American consecrated virgins---myself included---will wear some sort of veil during liturgical functions, as a way to acknowledge their having received the veil. I wear a simple black lace mantilla, which is the sort of thing a lay woman might wear. Other CVs do wear a more "serious" looking chapel veil like the one in the video. Generally, it's a matter of personal discernment on the part of the individual CV.

For what it's worth, though, a solid white fabric chapel veil seems to be fairly common among Hungarian CVs! (Though the CV in the video is not Hungarian.)

[4LoveofJMJ]

I really like the idea of the receiving of the veil during the Rite however I wonder what would happen if the woman was veiling before the ceremony. Would she just go without wearing the veil for that short time? Did you veil before your consecration Sponsa Christi?

[Sponsa-Christi]

15 minutes ago, 4LoveofJMJ said:

I really like the idea of the receiving of the veil during the Rite however I wonder what would happen if the woman was veiling before the ceremony. Would she just go without wearing the veil for that short time? Did you veil before your consecration Sponsa Christi?

No, I didn't veil before. I took my consecration as the occasion to start wearing a veil in Church. That was almost seven years ago, and back then veiling was even less common than it is now.

If an aspiring CV was already wearing a chapel veil, I suppose she would just go on veiling as before. If the bishop doesn't set any specific rules about this for his diocese, then it's a matter of personal discernment for the new CV. I guess a CV candidate could decide to stop wearing a chapel veil for a while before her consecration, or maybe start wearing a new chapel veil to mark the big milestone. (A tasteful chapel veil can often be an appropriate consecration gift for a new CV, by the way!) 

However, if a CV candidate is a cloistered nun who has already received the veil during her profession of vows, then the giving of the veil is omitted from the Rite. This obviously doesn't apply to CVs "living in the world," though.