Consecrated Virgin - Historical Development

Historical Development

A life of virginity for the sake of Christ and his Church is an ancient form of Christian religious living already mentioned in the New Testament. These virgins either continued to live with their own family or lived in a private house, because this form of life predated the foundation of religious orders. A number of early Christian martyrs were women or girls who had given themselves to Christ in perpetual virginity, such as Saint Agnes and Saint Lucy.

During the Middle Ages, consecrated life was almost completely absorbed into monastic life, and the consecration of a virgin who lived in the world fell into disuse. This form of life, however, did not entirely disappear. One example is St. Catherine of Siena, who consecrated her virginity to Christ while living in her family home, and later was active in the world. She was recognized as a woman consecrated to Christ through her status as a Dominican tertiary.

The rite of consecration was maintained by nuns in monastic orders, such as the Benedictines and Carthusians. This consecration could be done either concurrently with or some time after the profession of solemn vows. Among Carthusian nuns, there is the unique practice of these virgins being entitled to wear a stole, a vestment otherwise reserved to clergy, which gives them certain liturgical privileges, mostly used during their reading of the Gospel at Matins. It has been speculated that this is a vestige of the Order of deaconess.

In 1963 the Second Vatican Council requested a revision of the rite of the consecration of virgins that was found in the Roman Pontifical. The revised Rite was approved by Pope Paul VI and published in 1970. This consecration could be bestowed either on women in monastic orders or on women living in the world, which revived the form of life that had been found in the early Church.