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Stages

Preparation process for becoming a consecrated virgin

Broadly speaking, there are three stages for becoming a consecrated virgin: remote (happens in family, school, and parish long before vocational discernment begins), proximate (the vocational discernment), and immediate (preparing the liturgical celebration). Since remote and immediate stages occur differently for each virgin, this section will focus on the proximate stage, which includes inquiry, aspirancy, and candidacy.

The Inquiry Stage

During the inquiry stage, the goal is to gain knowledge of essential aspects of the life as a consecrated virgin and decide if she wants to move ahead being considered for consecration.

In this stage, the virgin should:

  • Deepen her prayer life
  • Consult a knowledgeable spiritual director to guide discernment
  • Seek information/experience about various forms of consecrated life including attending informational events. Those virgins discerning a vocation to consecrated virginity lived in the world, those who have been accepted as candidates for the consecration, and newly consecrated virgins, may attend an informational conference sponsored by the USACV-IRC.
  • Begin the application process with the help of an assigned diocesan representative 

This stage ends when the inquirer requests that she be considered for the Ordo virginum, generally by writing an informal request to the diocesan bishop, or by deciding that she will not continue to discern this vocation. 

The Aspirancy Stage

During the aspirancy stage, the virgin ensures that she has no impediments for entry to the Ordo virginum, specifically:

  • The candidate is a woman.
  • Documentation of age, baptism, and confirmation.
  • Attestations from the applicant that she has never celebrated marriage, has never lived publicly or manifestly in a state contrary to chastity, and is not a member of an institute of consecrated life.
  • Attestation from the applicant to show that, in order to validly receive the consecration of virgins, a woman must have the gift of virginity to offer to Christ.
  • Assessment that she already has a solid spiritual life and is approaching consecration with proper motivation and understands the responsibilities and essential elements of the life of a consecrated virgin.
  • Assessment of psychological stability.
  • Assessment that she has the health, suitable character, and qualities of maturity as an integrated person to enter a period of formation.
  • Attestation that applicant understands that she is financially responsible for herself.
  • Attestation that she has disclosed prior membership or application for membership in other institutes of life.
  • Assessment that the applicant's living situation is congruent to a life of consecrated virginity.
  • Consideration of the aspirant's family background and education.

At the same time, the diocesan bishop assures himself that nothing stands in the way of a valid and licit consecration and that the woman's life shows that she will persevere in her virginity and that she is dedicated to the service of the Church and of neighbor. 

After the aforementioned pieces are collected, the bishop receives the recommendation of those engaged in the application process and decides whether or not to admit the applicant to formation in a period of candidacy.  It is important to note that a bishop's decision to admit an applicant to candidacy is not a decision to admit her to the consecration. Ordinarily, this stage lasts one to two years (ESI 92).

The Candidacy Stage

This stage generally lasts for two to three years (ESI 97), and the goals include formation in spiritual, human, intellectual, and apostolic dimensions of the life of consecrated virginity. To achieve these goals, this stage includes an emphasis on formation through fully living with the life of consecrated virginity and growing in union with Christ:

  • The meaning of life in the Ordo virginum as virginal espousal to Christ.
  • The nature of the unitive and indissoluble nature of this nuptial bond.
  • The meaning and witness of nuptial virginity in the Blessed Virgin Mary imago Dei.
  • The eschatological witness of the life of a consecrated virgin.
  • How the virgin will live her consecration including her spiritual life, personal relationships, and apostolate.
  • The life of the consecrated virgin as one who is dedicated to the service of the Church.
  • The understanding of the virgin's being a public person in the Church, focusing both on the need for her to have an adequate foundation to be able to present the faith and live it fully, and on the importance of gaining and maintaining the intellectual and professional training needed to carry out her own profession and apostolate. 
  • The integration of the apostolate and work/profession of the virgin with her identity as a Bride of Christ.
  • Living a life centered on the Most Holy Eucharist, the Sacraments, and deepening union with God through prayer.

During this stage, the bishop assures that qualified individuals direct formation and assess the candidate's progress. (The spiritual director does not participate in offering evaluations of the candidate's progress; he or she only attests that the virgin has been receiving regular spiritual direction.) The bishop should be apprised at regular intervals of a candidate's progress and should be available to meet with the candidate as needed.

This stage ends with the candidate either providing a written request to be admitted to consecration and the bishop deciding to admit her, extend the period of candidacy and formation, or to dismiss the woman from the process (ESI 104). 

The bishop must have moral certainty before deciding to admit a woman to the consecration; he must be assured that nothing stands in the way of a valid and licit consecration (these factors were assessed at the woman's entry to candidacy) and assess the virgin--by her age, prudence, and universally attested good character--gives assurance of perseverance in a life of chastity dedicated to the service of the Church and her neighbor (ESI 105).