Consecrated virginity is one of the earlier vocations in the church. Those young women who feel called to this vocation are consecrated to God by the diocesan Bishop according to a rite approved by the church. They remain in the secular state, living individually, under the direction of the diocesan Bishop, and providing completely for their own material needs, medical care, and retirement.

“The consecrated virgin offers the gift of her physical virginity to Christ, as a sign of the dedication of her entire being to Him. Through the Rite of Consecration, the Church receives the gift of the virgin and calls down upon her the grace of the Holy Spirit that she may never fail in her resolve to live in perfect continence for the sake of Christ and His Church.”

{Taken from Archbishop Raymond L. Burke, “Vocations to the Consecrated Life,” St. Louis Review Online, August 13, 2004}