by Therese Ivers, JCL

About fifteen years ago, while in the midst of my vocational discernment, I found an article on consecrated virgins.  The author described consecrated virgins as women who made public vows in the hands of the bishop, lived in strict solitude, and followed an individually crafted rule of life that had been approved by that bishop.  It was this article which convinced me that I did not have a vocation to consecrated virginity.  After all, I liked being among people!  What I didn’t know then, as I do now, is that such a description is a perfect fit for the vocation of diocesan hermits, and an almost entirely false one of consecrated virgins  living in the world (unless they happen to be diocesan hermits!).  There has been in the past, as well as in the present, a lot of confusion and misunderstanding about vocations to the eremitic and virginal life.  This is why I think it would be a good time to bring up some common myths about the two vocations.

Myth #1.  Hermits are the male counterpart of consecrated virgins.

The closest male counterpart to the consecrated virgin is the bishop.  There are several reasons for this.  One, the consecrated virgin most fully mirrors and represents the Church-Bride, for which reason she is called “bride of Christ”.  The bishop represents Christ-Bridegroom in the fullness of orders.  (This, incidentally, is why only a bishop -or abbot- can confer the consecration- he stands in the place of Christ the Bridegroom.)  As is the case with a bishop, the virgin receives and enters her vocation through the ministry of a bishop.  That is to say, a bishop enters the episcopacy through orders conferred upon him by the ordaining bishops, and a consecrated virgin enters the consecrated state through the consecration conferred upon her by the consecrating bishop.  It is important to note that in neither the case of a (non religious) diocesan bishop, nor in the consecrated virgin living in the world are vows/promises made which constitute the man a bishop or the woman a consecrated virgin.  Rather, it is the sacrament/sacramental conferred by the bishop which constitutes the person a bishop or a consecrated virgin.  Finally, both the virgin and the bishop are in what is known as the “state of perfection” (this is not the case of diocesan priests or deacons).

Hermits (solitaries, anchorites, anchoresses, etc.) may be male or female.  Thus, hermits (male) are the counterpart of hermitesses (female), not of consecrated virgins.  Perhaps one reason why people may think hermits are the male vocation equivalent to consecrated virgins is because both are individually lived vocations in the sense that they are not attached to a religious community of any kind.

Myth #2.  “Public” status requires visibility and “distinctness” for hermits and virgins

Some people object to the idea of becoming a hermit under the provisions of canon 603 because they perceive the public nature or status of the vocation of the diocesan hermit to be against the calling to solitude and silence.  That is, according to such persons, if you are a publicly consecrated diocesan hermit, this “public status” goes against the withdrawal from the world that the hermit seeks and lives.  Some people believe that consecrated virgins living in the world must live like religious because they believe that the consecrated state or the public state of consecration requires what is known as “separation from the world”.  Both are errors tied to misunderstandings about what a “public state” is, and of what constitutes the essential elements of the vocations in question.

What is a public state? 

by Therese Ivers, JCL

One of the purposes of this website is to give tools to those discerning their vocation to help enable them to make an informed decision.  I have not been posting on this site too often lately because I have been focusing on writing a book for those thinking about the religious life.  This book is about the nuts and bolts of evaluating a prospective convent/abbey/monastery as a possible “fit” for oneself.  While I have drafted what I think is a catchy title for this book, I think about it in terms of “the good, the bad, and the ugly of religious life”.  Why?  Because in looking at a community, one must often use a similar technique that one would use in being prudent about a potential spouse.  By knowing the good, the bad, and the ugly about many marriages, one can learn to evaluate the possible compatibility of another human being as a prospective spouse.  Now, my book has (at the moment) nothing to do directly with the Intercessors of the Lamb.  However, part of what I am trying to do is alert people to important aspects of community life which may be disruptive or injurious to one’s own well-being because certain “red flags” were ignored, and I think that while these things will be covered in great detail in my upcoming guide, some of the problems which were highlighted before the suppression of the Intercessors of the Lamb can furnish some food for thought for those discerning religious life in the meantime.

The lay association called the Intercessors of the Lamb (IOL) had contacted the Archdiocese of Omaha to see if they could take the next step in reaching a more serious level of canonical standing within the Church.  As a Public Association of the Faithful, the Intercessors of the Lamb in the Church were like a civil corporation within the US- they were a group with a common identity, written statutes, a board, etc.  They wanted to go beyond simple  “incorporation” in the Church and become a recognized institute or society that lived a consecrated lifestyle in the Church.  However, the canon lawyer who was hired by the Archbishop to evaluate the community’s readiness to take the next step found that there were serious problems within the community.  Shortly after an attempt was made to begin addressing these problems by putting in place a new “superior”, the group was officially disbanded because the lay board of the community refused to cooperate with the Archbishop of Omaha.  Of course, hindsight is often 20/20, but I would like to point out some of the things an informed discerner could have looked out for if he or she had been seriously considering joining the Intercessors of the Lamb.

Reasons Why Knowing the Canonical Status of a Community is Important

1.  Only members of Diocesan-right or Pontifical-Right Religious Institutes are religious and enjoy the rights of religious and the obligations of religious.  Vowed members of such Religious Institutes are in the consecrated state.  The Intercessors of the Lamb, contrary to popular opinion, were NEVER a religious institute and its members were not in the consecrated state.  “Consecrated” or vowed Members had some of the trappings of religious life:  a habit, vows, chapel, statutes, etc., but they were not recognized in the Church as true religious.  Why?  Because they were in the more risky (to discerners) stage of being a Public Association of the Faithful.  While they had the intention and hope of eventually following some kind of consecrated lifestyle in a form approved by the Church, the Intercessors of the Lamb had the same status as any other Public Association of the Faithful (think Legion of Mary, Worldwide Marriage Encounter, etc.).  A good percentage of Public Associations of the Faithful who wish to become a Religious Institute or evolve into a Secular Institute or a Society of Apostolic Life simply fold, fizzle out, are suppressed, or disintegrate for a variety of reasons.  Oftentimes, it is because there are unhealthy practices within the community, shady financial practices, personality struggles, etc.  The bottom line is that even people with vows in a Public Association of the Faithful remain lay (if non-ordained) because they are not in a Religious Institute.

2.  A good percentage of Public Associations of the Faithful who desire to evolve into a recognized form of consecrated life fold.  This can have a detrimental effect to your livelihood and future if you were to join one and it was disbanded or the leaders ran off with the money or the superior kicks you out because you have a personality clash.  Please understand that the Archdiocese of Omaha is being extraordinarily helpful to the former members of the now suppressed IOL.  Since the members were NOT religious, the Archdiocese was not obligated in law to provide for the material needs of the ex-members any more than a diocese would be obligated to support (for a time) an ex-member of the Legion of Mary or Knights of Columbus.  (As a side note, I find it quite interesting and perhaps not entirely coincidental that it was the “lay” branch that controlled the finances (all of the group was lay, but the “lay” branch indicated by the news probably refers to the associated members who did not take the private vows of poverty, chastity, and obedience) that was the portion of the IOL that refused to cooperate with the Archbishop.  It was those members who had donated their money before entering with their private vows who suffered from their private vow of poverty as a result.)  The moral of the story for discerners who are thinking about joining a community that wants to be a religious institute  or live a consecrated lifestyle eventually is that the aid given to the ex-members of the IOL by the Archdiocese is extraordinary.  Finances are usually tight for start-up groups, and if you leave or it disintegrates or is suppressed, you can usually count on being practically on the street with little or no money to restart your life.  Let me say this again.  Even with established religious Orders, ex-members have been known to have been given a plane ticket and $250-$500 to begin anew.  I suppose that’d buy you a tent and a suit for job interviews but little else.  Have no family?  That’s just your tough luck.  Perhaps a homeless shelter will take care of you until you get on your feet.

Coming Next:  Why Canonist Pete Vere’s signs could have been helpful for the person who was discerning the IOL. As I am planning a series on the Intercessors, if you have any questions or comments about Public Associations of the Faithful or the suppressed Intercessors of the Lamb, please feel free to comment on these posts or use the contact us form.

(C) 2010 by Therese Ivers, JCL

www.DoIHaveAVocation.com

]]> http://doihaveavocation.com/blog/archives/347/feed 0 http://doihaveavocation.com/blog/archives/216 http://doihaveavocation.com/blog/archives/216#comments Thu, 29 Oct 2009 16:47:55 +0000 Therese Ivers, JCL http://doihaveavocation.com/blog/?p=216 Q.  Does a consecrated virgin pray the Liturgy of the Hours in the name of the Church? A.  A consecrated virgin is not bound or obliged by universal law to pray the Liturgy of the Hours, and therefore she does … Continue reading →]]>

Q.  Does a consecrated virgin pray the Liturgy of the Hours in the name of the Church?
A.  A consecrated virgin is not bound or obliged by universal law to pray the Liturgy of the Hours, and therefore she does not pray it in the official name of the Church.

(c) 2009  by Therese Ivers, JCL

www. DoIHaveAVocation.com

Table of contents for College Education

1. College Education Part I- Should Cloistered Nuns Have A College Education?
2. College Education Part II- Choosing A College When Discerning

by Therese Ivers, JCL

Dan would like to become a priest.  He is a high school senior and believes that he has a vocation to the diocesan priesthood.  Mary Ellen is also a senior in high school and is thinking about joining a cloistered order.  Should she go to college, and if so, where?  The decision of whether to go to college is one of the more important decisions that many discerners must make on their vocational journey.  For those of you agonizing over this decision, I would like to offer some tips which may help.

Tip #1 Know Your Ultimate Goal

What do you want to achieve with your education?  Do you know the difference between vocational training and education which enriches the whole person?  If you don’t, you may want to check out this document which I believe everyone who is thinking of investing tens of thousands of dollars and years of their life in college should sit down and read and understand.

Tip #2 Know Your Pocketbook

If you are considering joining religious life, you should be aware of the fact that religious orders cannot accept candidates who are burdened with debt.  Today people can graduate with tens of thousands of dollars in student loans.  This can delay entrance for 5, 10, 15, 20 years.  In today’s economy, when there is a high unemployment rate, paying off such loans in a timely manner is not always possible.

If the main goal is to get a college education in a particular field to fulfill entrance requirements for a religious order or the degree needed before entering major seminary, then consider finding the cheapest BA or BS degree program, which may include several semesters of junior or community college.  Obviously, you can hunt down grants, scholarships, etc.  Even if you don’t plan on majoring in math, do some figure crunching.

Know your numbers. Be creative.  For example, one private Catholic college has a policy whereby the most a student would ever need to borrow is the maximum allowed by the Stafford loans (about $3,500 – $5,500 each year) and has a generous financial aid package.  Even though the listed tuition is high, your debt would be very low upon graduation.  You might even decide to study in Europe.  Tuition for a Bachelor’s degree program student at the Angelicum, my own alma mater, is only €1320 for the whole year of 2009/2010.

Tip #3 Is A College’s Catholic Identity Important?

Know yourself.  Many students who go to state colleges end up being practicing Catholics.  Many students who go to expensive “Catholic” colleges end up losing their faith.  Who are you, what do you stand for, and are you able to live in a mature, adult fashion without needing peer pressure to practice your faith?  Maybe it’s important to you to find more potential Catholic dates at college.   Whatever your goals may be, these are merely a sample of the questions you should ask yourself.  And in case you’re wondering, unless you need the philosophical/theological pre-reqs for major seminary or specific degrees for particular apostolates, in most cases, your undergraduate degree is what’s important, not where you got it.

Those are the tips for today.  Enjoy!

(c) 2009 by Therese Ivers

All Rights Reserved

www.DoIHaveAVocation.com

by Therese Ivers, JCL

In one of the states of the US that I grew up in, there is a convent.  In that convent are women dressed in habits.  They make vows of poverty, chastity, and obedience… and they live austerely.  They claim to belong to an ancient and revered Order.  But, they are not nuns, and they are not sisters.  As a matter of fact, they are lay women who masquerade as Roman Catholic religious.  In a word, they are frauds.

There is an international group that passes themselves off as a budding religious community.  Married individuals may join this so-called religious community.  People who are married and think they need to somehow become religious in order to become holy and wear a habit are often referred to join this group.  The website of this group has what purports to be “encouragement” from the Vatican.  The way this group is set up,

Table of contents for Consecrated Virgins

1. Consecrated Virgins Part I
2. Consecrated Virgins Part II
3. Consecration Vs. Vow

alt=”Mystical Betrothal of St. Catherine of Sienna” width=”279″ height=”223″ />

by Therese Ivers, JCL

Eleven votes have been cast in favor of having this month’s theme be consecrated virginity.  As I sat down to begin writing this article, one of the first things that came up vividly to my mind were several women who were incorrectly described to me as consecrated virgins.  Two I met on a trip, and somehow they became locally known as consecrated virgins since they would *like* to be consecrated, but they are in fact, not.  Female members of one of the secular institutes I am familiar with also are known -mistakenly- in their local areas as “consecrated virgins”.  Finally, members of an international group have oftentimes referred to themselves as “consecrated women” or “consecrated virgins” despite a complete lack of canonical status as such.  To help  facilitate a better understanding of what a consecrated virgin is – or is not – I thought it would be helpful to have a mini-series of FAQs on consecrated virgins.

Q.  Can a widow become a consecrated virgin?

A.  No.  It is assumed that a wife who has lived even a night under the same marital roof as her spouse has consummated the marriage, thereby surrendering her physical virginity.  This is why the Church requires that candidates “never have been married or lived in public or open violation of chastity”.

Q.  May a “renewed virgin” receive the consecration?

A.  A female who has voluntarily and completely experienced sexual pleasure is not eligible for the consecration, for she cannot offer God physical virginity.   As St. Jerome put it, in his twenty-second Epistle to St. Eustochium, n. 5 (P.L., XXII, 397), “I tell you without hesitation that though God is almighty, He cannot restore a virginity that has been lost.”  Although generous repentance may restore “spiritual” virginity, physical virginity cannot be restored, and both physical and spiritual virginity are required for a valid consecration.

Q.  Where can I find a sample of a rule of life for consecrated virgins?

A.  Consecrated virgins live “under the direction” of their bishop.  Nevertheless, this direction is more akin to that of married couples being under the care of their pastor than that of religious to their superior.  Consecrated virgins do not profess public vows nor do they live according to a rule of life unless they are also religious, diocesan hermits, or members of secular institutes.  Because consecrated virgins living in the world are not subject by the vow of obedience to their bishop, and are not required to follow a rule of life (any more than married women are required to follow a rule of life), drafting and following a rule of life is completely optional for most consecrated virgins.  Actually, in most instances, it would be imprudent to have a rule of life, for the virgin living in the world lives in the world with all the variables and cares that implies.  The advice of a spiritual director should be followed if a virgin is considering adopting a rule of life.

Q.  Does a female religious have to be a virgin?

A.  No.  Only female religious who desire to receive the consecration of virgins must be virgins.  Some communities such as certain Abbeys in the Benedictine Order have traditionally offered the consecration of virgins to their members in perpetual vows.  In such a case, the individual member desirous of receiving this consecration should be in truth a virgin.

Q.  The Rite of Consecration says that a person must never been married, nor have publicly or openly violated chastity.  I secretly had a one night stand that nobody knows about 20 years ago.  Can I receive the consecration?

A.  While it is true that you weren’t married nor lived in public or open violation of chastity (as in the case of cohabiting), your virginity was lost in the one night stand and thus you are unable to validly receive the consecration.  Perhaps some other vocational options are available for your prayerful discernment and consideration.

Q.  Are all religious women, female  members of secular institutes, and female hermits “consecrated virgins?”

A.  No.  Consecrated virgins are female virgins who have been consecrated by their bishop according to the norms of canon 604 and the Rite itself.  Devout women under a private vow of chastity, women in secular 3rd orders, members of religious orders, and others who have not specifically received the consecration conferred by their bishop are technically  not consecrated virgins.  Given the promiscuous lifestyles of today’s youth and young women, a large percentage of those in consecrated life are probably not virgins, nor are they required to enter as physical virgins.  Only those females who wish to receive the consecration of virgins are required to be virgins and to maintain both physical and spiritual virginity.  Those in other forms of consecrated life are required to exercise “chastity”, which in their case means perpetual continence and celibacy.

To be continued.  But, before this series is continued, I need 5 serious and respectful comments on this post.

Article and photo (c) 2009 by Therese Ivers, JCL

All Rights Reserved

Table of contents for Congress Pilgrimage 2008 Rome

1. International Congress Pilgrimage of Consecrated Virgins Rome 2008 Day 1
2. International Congress Pilgrimage of Virgins Rome 2008 Part II
3. International Congress Pilgrimage of Consecrated Virgins, Rome Day III
4. Consecrated Virgins International Congress Mass Days IV and V
5. February 2: World Day for Consecrated Life

Four very beautiful presentations were given at the congress this day. One was by Archbishop Raymond Burke. Another was by Judith Stegman, another by a French Archbishop and the last by a consecrated virgin from Italy. An update will be given on those talks later. Among the many subjects spoken about within the addresses, two important facts were touched on. One was confirmation from Rome that physical virginity outside of the case of rape or incest is absolutely necessary for the consecration. The other is that only the virgin’s diocesan bishop can confer the sacramental upon her. It cannot be given, for example, by the bishop’s delegate, nor by Abbots, nor anyone else to the virgin living in the world.

Below you can find a quick interview of one of the consecrated virgins present at the congress.

by Therese Ivers

A consecrated hermit is an individual who has made public vows of poverty, chastity, and obedience in the hands of his bishop and lives them according to a rule of life approved by that bishop. The “diocesan hermit” and “consecrated hermit” lives a seclusive  lifestyle and vocations to this form of consecrated life are rare. In this article, a hermit is male. However, most of what is written of male hermits applies equally to female hermitesses.

Life of Solitude

Each hermit lives in solitude. Social interaction is strictly limited because a hermit finds his vocation in the contemplation of divine things away from the tumult of the world. Consecrated hermits who are not ordained often attend Mass in the local parish. They may also be seen grocery shopping and running necessary errands. The degree of solitude and the manner of observing it is spelled out in their own rule of life, which may differ from hermit to hermit.  Hermits may also live in “community” in hermitages built on the same property.  They meet for common exercises such as Holy Mass.

Public Vows and Rule of Life

To become a diocesan hermit, an individual must normally live for some time under a rule of life. The hermit normally submits this rule to his bishop for approval. If the bishop discerns that a hermit who has been steadily living a balanced rule of life and observing the evangelical counsels should be admitted as a diocesan hermit, the hermit enters the consecrated state by making his profession at the hands of this bishop.

Desert Fathers

The desert fathers were the first known hermits. They lived in solitude either in “cells” or “hermitages” spread out far and few between or in clusters. Eventually many of the hermit clusters evolved into monastic groups. Some orders today preserve their eremetic roots. Carthusians, Camaldelese, Carmelites, and others were heavily influenced by the ermetic lifestyle. While over the centuries members of religious institutes could sometimes receive permission to become hermits, those who are not members of religious institutes are able under canon 603 to become diocesan hermits.

Vocational Discernment

If you are discerning a vocation to become a consecrated hermit, your first step should be to consult your spiritual director. You may also want to consult your diocesan office for vocations and perhaps the bishop himself.

by Therese Ivers

Although I meant to discuss this vocation at a later date, I was contacted by certain individuals these past few days asking for further information and so it looks like it’s time to tackle this topic on consecrated virginity now.

Most of us equate “consecrated life” for religious life.  However, there are forms of consecrated life which do not entail life as a religious.  One of them predates religious life and was recently revived as a form of the consecrated state.  It is consecrated virginity, the primary model being the Blessed Virgin Mary.

What is a consecrated virgin?  Strictly speaking, a consecrated virgin is a female virgin who has received the consecration of virgins from the hands of her local bishop.  “Similar to these forms of consecrated life is the order of virgins who, expressing the holy resolution of following Christ more closely, are consecrated to God by the diocesan bishop according to the approved liturgical rite, are mystically betrothed to Christ, the Son of God, and are dedicated to the service of the Church.”

The consecration may be given to religious and to those virgins living in the world.  The Benedictines have the custom of allowing their virgin nuns to receive the consecration after some time elapses after their perpetual vows.  The virgins living in the world live out their vocation under the direction of their diocesan bishop.  They do not take public vows of poverty, chastity, or obedience, for the essence of their vocation is to be a bride of Christ as a perpetual virgin.

Just as a side note, once in a while I’ll bump into someone in Rome who talks about their consecrated virgin friends.  These “consecrated virgins” usually are pious ladies who have made private vows of poverty, chastity, and obedience, or even a vow of virginity.  As they have not received the consecration of virgins at the hands of their bishop, they are not consecrated virgins strictly speaking, nor are they in the consecrated state.  Hence it would be better if they did not refer to themselves as consecrated virgins and if they would encourage their friends to refrain from doing so as well.

A consecrated virgin is a bride of Christ.  She becomes a “sacred person” and a sign of the next life by her spiritual betrothal to Christ.  Her consecration is the bond which unites her to her Spouse and cannot be dissolved by any human power because her body and soul have been given over to Christ in perpetual virginity.

To be a consecrated virgin, one must be a female virgin (one who has not lost virginity through voluntary intercourse with a male) who has never married.  She must be mature and capable of living out a life of prayer and penance.  Of course, she must resolve on maintaining a life of perpetual virginity and only those who give proof of being able to do so can be admitted to the consecration.

In addition to the inquiries I received on the vocation of consecrated virginity, I also received a special communication from the American association of consecrated virgins that I would like to share with you here:
February 21, 2008, Commemoration of St. Peter Damian, Bishop and Doctor

Dear friends of consecrated virgins,

I come today with a special appeal, asking if you might consider helping a consecrated virgin from an economically distressed country attend the Rome 2008 International Congress-Pilgrimage for consecrated virgins in May.   The gathering has been convoked by the Congregation for Consecrated Life and Societies of Apostolic Life, with a letter sent by Cardinal Rodé, Prefect, to Bishop-presidents of Episcopal conferences throughout the world.

This is sure to be an historic occasion for consecrated virgins, as we gather internationally for the second time in history, and are delighted to have the opportunity to be received in audience by Pope Benedict XVI.  It will be a time of serious study of the vocation of consecrated virginity, a time of prayer in the major Basilicas of Rome, and a time of meeting and enjoying new friends from throughout the world.

We anticipate attendance by about 430 consecrated virgins from 40 different countries, and translations will be made available in English, French, German, Italian, and Spanish.  Due to the nature of our individually lived vocation, all the expenses of travel, meals, housing, translation, etc. must be covered by registration fees charged to each participant.  The cost is high, even for those in more developed nations.  Due to the generous donations of consecrated virgins in this country, we have been able to offer needed assistance to anyone traveling from the United States.

At this time, the international planning team is aware of 31consecrated virgins – 3 from India, 5 from Poland, 5 from the Ukraine, 9 from the Czech Republic and Slovakia, 1 from Hungary, 2 from Algeria, 3 from Mexico, 3 from Costa Rica – who are in need of financial assistance.  And we anticipate that there are others from Africa.  Minimally, each of these virgins needs 220 Euro to cover meals for the six day stay so that they may dine with the group and enjoy this important time for relationships.  In order to also be housed with the group, the needed assistance would be closer to 500 Euro per person.  With an exchange rate nearing 1.5, this translates to a need of $325 to $740 per person.

If you or your diocese is able to assist with this need, you may make your tax-deductible contribution payable to USACV, 300 West Ottawa St., Lansing, MI 48933, indicating “Rome 2008 sponsorship.” Your sisters from around the world thank you in advance for your continued generosity in support of the renewal of the vocation of consecrated virginity lived in the world.

Judith Stegman, president

United States Association of Consecrated Virgins

If you can do so, I’d appreciate it if you would help these virgins from poorer countries to attend this congress in Rome by sending the association a donation to help cover their expenses.  It is a lifetime event and I’m sure they would gratefully remember you in their powerful prayers.  As for myself, I will be hosting a fundraising event in order to help them get the needed funds to bring at least one consecrated virgin here to Rome.

(c) 2008 by Therese Ivers

All Rights Reserved

Many who graduate private colleges have student loans that they must pay off before they may join the seminary or religious life.  I have personally known people whose entrance into religious life and the seminary were delayed, sometimes by several years, because of educational loans.  In fact, there are some I am aware of who are so buried in student debt that they feel that they will never climb out of the hole and will not be able to do what they would like to do if they weren’t encumbered by these obligations.

Because I feel that this is such an important topic, I decided to do a few things to help those who believe that they are called to serve God in Orders or the Consecrated state and who are hindered by student loans.  One thing I am planning to do is in the very near future, I will be hosting an interview with a person whose organization has done much to assist people pay off their loans in order to pursue a religious vocation or the priesthood.

What I would appreciate from you, dear readers, is if you are discerning a vocation and have personal debt, please send me your most pressing question(s)/comments on this subject HERE so that I can better prepare for this interview.  Thank you in advance.

Therese