In the Catholic Faith, virginity is esteemed as a great virtue and a precious gift. It is intrinsically linked to the virtues of modesty and chastity, which are not only essential for those who are called to celibacy but are meant to be cultivated by all Catholics, regardless of their vocation. The virtue of chastity ensures that one’s heart and body are ordered according to God’s design, whether in preparation for marriage or in dedication to God through celibacy.
The Call to Celibacy and the Life of a Consecrated Virgin
While all Catholics are called to live chastely according to their state in life, some are called to a more radical witness of self-giving through celibacy. This vocation is a special calling from God, one in which a person dedicates their entire life to Him without entering into a marital union. Among the highest expressions of this calling is the vocation of the consecrated virgin.
A consecrated virgin is a woman who, while living in the world, dedicates herself entirely to Christ and remains a virgin for His sake. The consecration of virgins is an ancient and revered practice in the Church, dating back to the early centuries of Christianity. It has its own liturgical ritual and is a sacramental, similar to the coronation of a king.
The Rite of Consecration, performed by a bishop, includes a solemn commitment to perpetual virginity, the reception of a veil and a ring as signs of her union with Christ, and the prayer of consecration, which sets her apart for divine service. Unlike religious sisters, consecrated virgins do not live in community or take vows of poverty and obedience; rather, they serve the Church in their individual capacities while remaining wholly devoted to Christ as their Bridegroom.
The Honor Given to Virgin Saints
Throughout Church history, virginity has been highly esteemed, especially in the lives of the saints. Many of the Church’s greatest saints were virgins who dedicated their purity to Christ, often at great personal cost. The liturgy of the Church honors these saints by referring to them as “virgins,” recognizing their extraordinary commitment to God.[1]
Some of the most venerated virgin saints include:
- Cecilia (230 A.D.): A Roman noblewoman who was martyred for refusing to renounce her faith and purity. She vowed her virginity to God and converted her husband[2] to Christianity. When she refused to sacrifice to pagan gods, she was condemned to death, surviving multiple execution attempts before dying from injuries.
- Agatha (251 A.D.): Another early Christian martyr who suffered torture for her refusal to abandon her chastity and faith in Christ. She was tortured, including having her breasts cut off, and eventually died in prison.
- Agnes (304 A.D.): A young Roman martyr who, at the age of 12 or 13, refused to renounce her faith and her virginity, choosing to die rather than be defiled.
- Lucy (304 A.D.): Known for her courage and purity, she was martyred for her faith after dedicating herself as a virgin to God. She consecrated her virginity to Christ and rejected marriage. She was betrayed by her suitor and subjected to brutal torture, including having her eyes gouged out before being killed.
- Eulalia of Mérida (304 A.D.): A young Spanish martyr who was brutally tortured and killed for refusing to obey the civil authorities and publicly challenging them when they commanded the populace to worship pagan gods.
- Kateri Tekakwitha (1680 A.D.): A Native American saint who took a vow of virginity and devoted herself completely to Christ.
- Philomena (relics discovered in 1802): She revealed to Sister Maria Luisa di Gesù, OP, that she was killed for her commitment to virginity and faith.
- Maria Goretti (1902 A.D.): A young girl who was stabbed to death while defending her virginity from an assailant, forgiving her murderer before dying.
These and many other virgin saints serve as powerful examples of unwavering fidelity to Christ and the beauty of a life wholly given to God.
The Blessed Virgin Mary: The Greatest Example of Virginity
Above all, the Church honors the Blessed Virgin Mary, Who is uniquely titled the Ever Virgin. She was a virgin before, during, and after the birth of Christ, a truth solemnly defined by the Church. Her perpetual virginity signifies Her complete and undivided devotion to God and highlights Her singular role in salvation history.
The Roman Catechism states, “[T]he faithful are bound to believe that Jesus the Lord was not only conceived by the power of the Holy Ghost but was also born of the Virgin Mary.” Elsewhere, referring to the birth of the Second Person of the Blessed Trinity, the Catechism explains this sublime mystery on the Virgin birth:
“… as the rays of the sun penetrate, without breaking or injuring, in the least, the substance of glass; after a like, but more incomprehensible manner, did Jesus Christ come forth from His Mother’s womb without injury to Her maternal virginity, which, immaculate and perpetual, forms the just theme of our eulogy.”
Sr. Lucia, one of the three children who witnessed the apparitions of Our Lady of Fatima in 1917, received a vision on December 10, 1925 of Our Lady, Who requested at that time the practice of the Five First Saturdays devotion. A few years later, in response to a request from her confessor for the reason why Our Lady asked for five Saturdays, Sister Lucia wrote a letter to her confessor, which he received on June 12, 1930.
In this letter, she explained that she had received the answer in a vision of Our Lord on May 29, 1930, where Our Lord asked for these First Saturdays in reparation for the five kinds of blasphemies committed against His Mother. One of those are blasphemies against Her perpetual virginity. Not only would we do well by learning and sharing this truth of Our Lady’s virginity, but we should also make reparation for those who blaspheme Her and who attribute child birthing pains to the Blessed Mother.
The Blessed Virgin Mary is Ever-Virgin. She likewise did not suffer child birthing pains. And those who contradict either of these statements succumb to heresy and have separated themselves from the Church. They must repudiate their errors and return to Holy Mother Church through the Sacrament of Confession.
Conclusion
Virginity is a treasure in the life of a Catholic, whether it is lived in preparation for a holy marriage, consecrated to God in a special vocation, or maintained as a lifelong gift to Christ. The Church honors virgins because they exemplify the pure and undivided love that all are called to give to God. The Blessed Virgin Mary stands as the ultimate model of this purity, inspiring all to live chastely and to seek the higher things of Heaven.
By embracing chastity and, for those called, virginity or celibacy, Catholics participate in a profound mystery that reflects the eternal union between Christ and His Church. Think about this the next time the saint of the day on the liturgical calendar is honored as a virgin.
ENDNOTES:
[1] Father Nicholas Gihr, in his 1902 masterpiece entitled The Holy Sacrifice of the Mass, includes a footnote on the use of saints’ names and titles in the Church’s Collect prayers; “Virgin” is one of the few titles that is allowed:
“As the prayers are addressed to the omniscient God, in them only the simple or also the double proper names may be employed (for example, Joanna Francisca, Petrus Coelestinus) and similar designations of saints, as express their dignity (for example, Apostolus, Martyr, Confessor, Virgo [Virgin] but never Vidua [Widow], because this is not a title of honor). To them may also be added the names Joannes Chrysostomus and Petrus Chrysologus; … (S. R. C. 8., Mart. 1825, 7 Dec. 1844, ad 9.)
“All other surnames, of what nature soever (cognomina, for example, de Matha, a Cruce, Benitius, Nonnatus, Quintu – and patria, for instance, de Cortona, de Paula, Nepomucenus, with the exception of Maria Magdalena), must be omitted, as they are necessary only for us to distinguish the saints one from another. The name rex and regina may be added, but not of the kingdom over which the saints have reigned (for example, Danorum, Scotiae). (S. R. C., 22 Dec. 1629; 23 Jun. 1736. Cfr. Guyet. Heortol. 1. 3, c. 2, q. 5. Cavalieri, Oper. liturg. t. II, c. 38. Beleth, Ration, c. 54).”
[2] St. Cecilia was married but remained a virgin. According to tradition, she had consecrated her virginity to Christ before marriage. On her wedding night, she told her husband, Valerian, that an angel guarded her virginity and that he must respect it. Valerian, a pagan, agreed to do so if he could see the angel. After being instructed in the Christian Faith and baptized by Pope Urban I, Valerian saw the angel and accepted Cecilia’s vow of virginity. He and his brother Tiburtius later became Christians and were martyred along with Cecilia. Her story highlights how virginity can be preserved even within marriage when undertaken as a special vow to God. However, as per Church law, spouses may only practice a form of celibacy with mutual consent and episcopal approval. This is because the marriage vows include giving ’marital rights’ to one’s spouse.