The invisible vocation: Philadelphia hosts gathering of consecrated virgins

The invisible vocation: Philadelphia hosts gathering of consecrated virgins July 31, 2014

Emily consecration 1

Here’s something you don’t hear about much: 

Becoming a consecrated virgin, says Judith Stegman, means there’s one thing you’ll do without – obviously – and one you’ll definitely need:

A sense of humor.

In the era of The Bachelorette and Dating Naked, of Fifty Shades of Grey and Snoop Dogg’s “Ain’t No Fun (If the Homies Can’t Have None),” a woman who chooses to live in reverent chastity can seem a curiosity.

” ‘Are you married?’ – it’s a common question,” Stegman said. “I say, ‘Well, I have a ring. I’m a consecrated virgin in the Catholic Church, and that means I’m married to Christ.'”

Stegman, 58, is president of the U.S. Association of Consecrated Virgins, dozens of whom gathered Wednesday at the Philadelphia Archdiocese’s offices to talk about their lives in advance of a formal convocation in Malvern.

The national conference, taking place from Tuesday through Friday, is expected to draw virgin candidates, bishops, priests, spiritual directors, and others interested in a vocation that’s making something of a comeback.

In simplest terms, a woman who becomes a consecrated virgin becomes a bride to Jesus, a devotion that includes her permanent physical virginity.

They’re rare. The United States is home to 215 among about 3,000 worldwide, with Italy and France accounting for a third. The Philadelphia Archdiocese is believed to have one or two, according to the association.

On Tuesday, members of a mostly older nine-women panel were asked whether they felt they had missed out – on sex, marriage, or children.

“I can honestly say I have no regrets,” said Linda Ann Long, 70, a recently retired Minneapolis cardiologist, as other women shook their heads in agreement. “While I’m often alone with my divine spouse, I’m almost never lonely.”

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