When it comes to women’s vocations, we tend to think of it in terms of marriage/motherhood or the single or religious life, but there’s another option that deserves a closer look – consecrated virginity.

Writing for Aleteia, Jenna M. Cooper, a consecrated virgin of the Archdiocese of New York is reporting on an international meeting, “Consecrated Life in Unity,” that took place in Rome at the close of the Year of Consecrated Life that drew together consecrated virgins from around the world. Sponsored by the Congregation for Institutes of Consecrate Life and Societies of Apostolic Life, it was attended by women living a cloistered monastic life, apostolic religious life, secular institutes and the Ordo Virginum (Order of Virgins).

Although the Order of Virgins is not an “order” in the traditional sense, it is more like a term used to describe a type of person or vocation within the church. It’s also an order that predates the religious communities we know today.

“In a sense, consecrated virginity is both the oldest and the newest form of consecrated life in the Church today,” writes Cooper, who has a licentiate in canon law.

“Since apostolic times, there have always been some Christian women who felt called to dedicate themselves to Christ as completely as possible by renouncing the possibility of an earthly marriage and committing to live a life of perpetual virginity. Centuries before women were able to profess vows as nuns in established religious communities, the Church had already established a ritual for solemnly consecrating women to a life of virginity.”

These women have traditionally received the title, “bride of Christ”, and is why the Fathers of the Church have described the women living this vocation as a special image of the Church herself.

In 1970, the Rite of Consecration to a Life of Virginity was renewed and, for the first time, the Order was opened to – and now seemed primarily intended for – non-cloistered women or “women living in the world.”

“And so, in a situation somewhat parallel to the reintroduction of permanent deacons, the revised Rite reestablished the ancient Order of Virgins into the life of the modern Church,” Cooper writes.

Since that time, the Order has been dealing with its own growing pains, such as its need for specific details in the Church’s universal law for discerning a vocation to consecrated virginity and how to form aspiring virgins.

“And, due to the relative obscurity of this vocation over the past few decades, consecrated virgins can tend to be somewhat isolated from each other, which can make it difficult to give and receive sisterly spiritual support,” Cooper says.

This is what made the conference so enjoyable – being able to commune with their sacred sisters.

“It was inspiring to hear about the many remarkable ways consecrated virgins are involved in serving the Church — we heard from consecrated virgins serving as professional theologians, consecrated virgins who administer great charitable projects, consecrated virgins involved in various forms of missionary activity, and even from a consecrated virgin involved in historic art preservation within her diocese,” Cooper reports.

“Even beyond this, it was incredibly heartening to see first-hand how this vocation was growing, even in parts of the world where the Church is facing either religious persecution or the challenges of an increasingly secular society.”

Renewed attention was brought to this little known vocation just last year when Jessica Hayes, a high school teacher from Fort Wayne, Indiana entered the ranks of the Order Virginum when she married her Spouse before Bishop Kevin Rhoades on August 15, 2015 in the Cathedral of the Immaculate Conception. The event brought a flurry of welcome new interest in what has otherwise been a relatively unknown vocation for women.

Spiritual motherhood is a part of all vocations – whether that be in women who enjoy the married state, religious or single life, but consecrated virginity makes this holy call its main focus.

This world, full of the displaced and the disaffected, is in dire need of spiritual mothering. Let us join our sisters in the Order Virginum in answering that very special call to use our feminine genius as the Fathers of Vatican II asked – “to “save the peace of the world.”

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