Theresa Ivers, JCL of Do I Have a Vocation - a website/blog to watch if you are interested in vocations of any kind - has notified me of a recent post she made at her site. She has been studying in Rome and we have had several communications over the last year or so. There are some great things planned for this website.
She has a beautiful photo post of virgins undergoing the Rite of Consecration according to Canon 604 in Rome at the Basilica of St. Cecilia on June 13th, 2008.
When we think of vocations, the priesthood or religious life comes to mind. Consecrated virgins living in the world are not religious sisters, but follow a path first seen in the early Church, during apostolic times. This means they work, and live, in the world in a way consistent with their vocation.
US ASSOCIATION OF CONSECRATED VIRGINS
There is an voluntary association for consecrated virgins in the US, for which Archbishop Raymond L. Burke has been the episcopal moderator. With recent news that he will be going to Rome to head the Apostolic Signatura (the highest court in the Church), I have been wondering if he will pass the baton to another bishop.
At the US Association of Consecrated Virgins website, there is voluminous information there worth mining whether you are interested in this path, or are a religious, a priest, or lay person. Much of the material is pertinent to anyone, but especially consecrated persons of any kind. Here are some sample pages:
- What is a 'Consecrated Virgin'?
- Who can be Consecrated?
- Frequently Asked Questions (note the page arrows at the bottom)
- Information Packet (with close to 500 pages including sections such as these - all in PDF):
- V. Basic Prayer Life of the Consecrated Virgin
- VI. History
- VII. Fathers of the Church on Consecrated Virginity (awesome reading for anyone, especially consecrated persons).
- X. Prayer and Work in the Life of a Consecrated Virgin
- XI. Diocesan Bishop and the Consecrated Virgin
The USACV website has many other things worth reading. It is a spiritual watering hole for anyone. They also have audio and video available, as well as transcripts from their yearly information meeting, in which Abp Burke has been deeply involved.
An interesting note about the history is that this way of life has come and gone (you can see the historical chart in section VI above). It seems to have emerged during troubled periods in the Church. It was restored in 1970 after an absence of several centuries. The part I found fascinating is that it was Dom Gueranger who initiated the comeback in 1958. Anyone who appriecates the Mass before V-II enough - use the arrows to page them)
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The obedient are not held captive by Holy Mother Church; it is the disobedient who are held captive by the world!