sweetpea316 Posted July 17, 2007 Share Posted July 17, 2007 Hello! I have a question and I thought this would be a great place to ask it! I am doing a talk at a girl's retreat in a few days and part of it is about vocations. I have all of it covered except for the part about consecrated virgins. I really don't know much about them, what kind of vows they take (or if they even take any), how they live on a day-to-day basis, if they wear any special clothing, etc... So really, just any basic information about consecrated virgins would be awesome. Thanks so much for your help! God bless+ Becky Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
philosophette Posted July 17, 2007 Share Posted July 17, 2007 Hi Becky, There is a great website with a lot of resources --- [url="http://www.consecratedvirgins.org/"]Consecrated Virgins[/url] Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
veroni213 Posted July 17, 2007 Share Posted July 17, 2007 [quote name='sweetpea316' post='1331448' date='Jul 16 2007, 08:39 PM']I really don't know much about them, what kind of vows they take (or if they even take any), how they live on a day-to-day basis, if they wear any special clothing, etc...[/quote] The ones I know wear wedding rings. Other than that they just dress modestly. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
EJames Posted July 17, 2007 Share Posted July 17, 2007 (edited) [quote name='sweetpea316' post='1331448' date='Jul 16 2007, 07:39 PM']Hello! I have a question and I thought this would be a great place to ask it! I am doing a talk at a girl's retreat in a few days and part of it is about vocations. I have all of it covered except for the part about consecrated virgins. I really don't know much about them, what kind of vows they take (or if they even take any), how they live on a day-to-day basis, if they wear any special clothing, etc... So really, just any basic information about consecrated virgins would be awesome. Thanks so much for your help! God bless+ Becky[/quote] here also is a site with a one or 2 page outline and a nice comparison chart [url="http://www.vocations.ca/How_do_i_become/Consecrated_lay_person/virgins.php"]http://www.vocations.ca/How_do_i_become/Co...son/virgins.php[/url] Edited July 17, 2007 by EJames Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
SaviorsChild Posted July 17, 2007 Share Posted July 17, 2007 A good help is the Q&A-Site here: [url="http://www.consecratedvirgins.org/q-a/qa.html"]http://www.consecratedvirgins.org/q-a/qa.html[/url] If you have special questions, please feel free to write a PM - my consecration is planned for summer 2008 (according to my age (I was too young when I started the time of discernment, just 18 ) I´ve been preparing to receive the consecration for quite a long time - 9 years now... ). But the CoV resembles the solemn profession - and you don´t make solemn profession after the first year at convent... (Sorry about my English - I´m from Germany... ) Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
imogen Posted July 17, 2007 Share Posted July 17, 2007 i have just read the link things about this and was wondering if anyone could tell me what the following means; 'lived in public or open violation of chastity' thankyou Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
SaviorsChild Posted July 17, 2007 Share Posted July 17, 2007 It is a difficult thing in today´s world, I really know... I asked my bishop exactly the same question. And he said (in my own words now): Well, you have to be a virgin. There's no doubt about it! But where doubt continues to exist because you had several rendezvous with boys/men and all the other people or friends who saw you together might have the strong suspicion that there had been more than just an "ordinary" friendship, I can´t administer the consecration of virgins! It would be a hypocrisy to say: "I´m a consecrated virgin" and on the other hand arouse suspicion because of your past... you have to ask yourself: Have I ever been truly with my life and my relationship to HIM? Or have I ever been some kind "stumbling block" for other people to think other things about me? Can I exclude all possibility of doubt? Did I /Do I give an example with my life, an example that testifies my promise? You don´t "become" a virgin during the rite of consecration - you ARE a virgin and you are consecrated as a virgin! So far my bishop... I hope this helps to understand - Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
farglefeezlebut Posted July 19, 2007 Share Posted July 19, 2007 So if you have a vocation to that life, and you make a mistake, there's not chance of you ever being consecrated? That's it? Not chance of living your vocation? You're a write-off because of your past? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
T-Bone _ Posted July 19, 2007 Share Posted July 19, 2007 This is different than Holy Orders. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
SaviorsChild Posted July 19, 2007 Share Posted July 19, 2007 (edited) I´m not very good in English - but I try to find the right words... The point is: You can only be consecrated, if you never gave in and had sexual intercourse. If you are a consecrated virgin, you will say to Jesus: "THIS belongs to you and I am not going to do this because of you - I never did it! You find in Rev 19:7 "Let us be glad and rejoice, and give honour to him: for the marriage of the Lamb is come, and his wife hath made herself ready." The marriage of the lamb is what we are waiting for - we believe that we don´t miss anything here on earth if we don´t have sexual intercourses with men. The church approves the vocation by the consecration of virgins. But church can´t approve anything that does not exist! A "virgin" is a woman who never gave her self sexually to a man. You can´t lie about this. It is one of the first questions a woman is asked whenever she comes to the bishop: "Are you a virgin? Have you never given yourself totally to a man? You know, this is reserved for HIM!" The American CV´s have an explanation on their Homepage (http://www.consecratedvirgins.org/cv/whatcv.html): [quote]Through this sacramental, the virgin, after renewing her promise of perpetual virginity to God, is set aside as a sacred person who only belongs to Christ.[/quote] And I very much like the last Question on their Q&A-Site (http://www.consecratedvirgins.org/q-a/qa-d.html): [quote][b]Is physical virginity necessary in order to receive the Consecration of a Virgin? Yes. Can someone offer to God what she does not have?[/b][/quote] So it really must be perpetual virginity: [b]Before[/b] and of course [b]after[/b] the actual consecration... Edited July 19, 2007 by SaviorsChild Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
SaviorsChild Posted July 19, 2007 Share Posted July 19, 2007 [quote name='farglefeezlebut' post='1334611' date='Jul 19 2007, 02:56 PM']So if you have a vocation to that life, and you make a mistake, there's not chance of you ever being consecrated? That's it? Not chance of living your vocation? You're a write-off because of your past?[/quote] I have to add a special case: If you lost your virginity because you wanted it (e.g. you wanted/planned to have sexual intercourse with a man), there is no possibility to ever receive the consecration of virgins - because you can´t offer HIM what you don´t have, what you already gave another man, what you (well, somehow!) "lost". In the very special and sad case, when a woman had been ravished (is this the right English word?)/violated so that she didn´t loose her virginity deliberately, the bishop has the possibility to administer the consecration - because she didn´t deliberately give her inner self, the most precious thing she as a female has, to a man, because she - in this very special case! - kept her virginity for HIM! Well, the bishop´s alsways free - he doesn´t have to do it! It is his own decision! It would be somehow strange, if a women has a child (after being ravished) and receives the consecration of virgins. I know a woman in Germany - same case! The bishop told her that he just couldn´t administer the consecration of virgins... because he said: "What will the people think if you have a child but you claim to be a virgin! Of course you are a virgin (understood as a woman who never gave herself to a man deliberately!), but it will be do difficult to understand and to explain!" This woman has made a private vow of chastity now. You wrote: [quote name='farglefeezlebut' post='1334611' date='Jul 19 2007, 02:56 PM']So if you have a vocation to that life, and you make a mistake, there's not chance of you ever being consecrated? That's it? Not chance of living your vocation?[/quote] What would you say to a woman who claims to have the vocation to be a priest? Vocation needs "materia" and "forma", just like sacraments (+ intention)/sacramentals. The materia of this special sacramental is a virgin, not a woman, who made this special mistake. She is no "valid" matter fos this. You can compare this to Can. 1024: "A baptized male alone receives sacred ordination validly." A woman who has never given herself to a man deliberately (= virgin) alone receives the consecration of virgins. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
EJames Posted July 20, 2007 Share Posted July 20, 2007 (edited) [quote name='farglefeezlebut' post='1334611' date='Jul 19 2007, 06:56 AM']So if you have a vocation to that life, and you make a mistake, there's not chance of you ever being consecrated? That's it? Not chance of living your vocation? You're a write-off because of your past?[/quote] remember its about Consecrated VIRGINITY, not Consecration to the Lord in general... cant be Consecrated publicly a Virgin if ..well, you aren't one! pax! Edited July 20, 2007 by EJames Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
SaviorsChild Posted July 20, 2007 Share Posted July 20, 2007 [quote name='EJames' post='1335281' date='Jul 20 2007, 04:20 AM']remember its about Consecrated VIRGINITY, not Consecration to the Lord in general... cant be Consecrated publicly a Virgin if ..well, you aren't one! pax![/quote] Well, this is what I already tried to say... Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
SaviorsChild Posted July 12, 2008 Share Posted July 12, 2008 Only two weeks to wait - my bishop will administer the consecration of virgins on Sat 26th... I´m am very excited and somehow confused (about the fact that time flies - I have been knowing the date für three months now... and now it is only two weeks away!!!!!), but really really happy!!!!! I´ve been waiting for such a long time... Please pray for me... Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Rising_Suns Posted July 12, 2008 Share Posted July 12, 2008 SaviorsChild, Ave Maria. Thank you for the information in this thread. It sounds like you have been preparing for this for many years, and it is truly your heart's desire. I don't mean to go too far off-topic, but may I ask, what compelled you to choose to be a consecrated virgin (living in the world) rather than consecrated under a rule of life in a community? If you are not comfortable answering this question, I understand (it is none of my business). Blessings. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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