Consecrated virginity is the oldest form of consecrated life in the Church. Some early Saints, including Sts. Lucy, Agatha and Agnes, were consecrated virgins. They felt called to belong to Christ alone, and the Fathers of the Church were the first ones to give them the title that characterized their vocation: “Spouse of Christ.” Their lives and witness were a sign of the eternal realities that we will all live, God willing, once we pass from this life to the next.

My own vocation story is somewhat long and winding, but it culminated with my consecration to a life of virginity lived in the world on September 14, 2019. About a year and a half before my consecration, Ecclesiae Sponsae Imago, an Instruction from the Holy See, was published. It is a beautiful document that describes the history, theology, formation norms and canonical regulations pertaining to consecrated virginity.

Despite the helpfulness of Ecclesiae Sponsae Imago, there are still not many resources available for discerning consecrated virginity, and for forming those women who are moving towards consecration. I have spoken to a large number of women, formators, vocation directors and bishops, and there are incredibly varied ways in which this vocation is being received and nurtured around the world. Some women have only just discovered it, despite long years of discernment, because it is just coming to be better known. Some women feel a strong call to the vocation, but experience significant roadblocks, such as lack of resources for development of formation programs, lack of spiritual directors and others who understand the vocation and can walk with them, and even (unfortunately) finding that their own bishop is not open to having the Ordo Virginum in his diocese. Still others are welcomed by their bishop, but face challenges in proceeding through a formation program because one doesn’t already exist, meaning that diocesan resources, already often stretched, are required for the creation of such a program.

The book that I’ve written, Espoused to Christ: A Theology of Consecrated Virginity, is a fruit of the growth of this vocation. I was asked to travel to Calgary in the summer of 2024 to give a week long series of conferences for a retreat for candidates for consecrated virginity. A number of candidates from the Diocese of Hamilton also joined us, as well as a fellow consecrated virgin from Ontario.

At present, this book is one of only a handful of English resources that speak specifically to consecrated virginity. I have been so grateful for the encouraging feedback I’ve received from consecrated virgins, candidates, bishops and others who have read it at various stages of development, and my greatest hope for the book is that it will be a solid resource that can support the flourishing of this vocation, which is a true gift to the Church and the world in our times. In the coming years, as more women come forward to inquire about receiving the consecration, I anticipate that many more resources will be produced, many helpful norms for formation will be developed, and much of the theology around consecrated virginity will deepen.

I’m so grateful to Sophia Institute Press for their support and assistance, to Sr. Dianne Turner for her excellent editing skills, and to Bishop Yvan Matthieu for taking the time to read the book and provide a nihil obstat (a considerable ask on my part given the schedule of bishops!). I’m also grateful to Archbishop Marcel Damphousse for the gift of an Imprimatur. It was important to me to have both the nihil obstat and Imprimatur to give those who read it confidence in the book’s orthodoxy. There are also many other bishops in Canada who have been wonderfully supportive of consecrated virginity and/or this book, including Bishop Boissonneau who consecrated me, and Bishops McGrattan and Miehm who provided endorsements for the book. I’d also like to recognize those who provided endorsements or who reviewed the book in some way- reading a whole book on a deadline is a big ask, but the kind words and support have been so meaningful to me. Thanks to my family- I am so blessed to have your love and support. Finally, it is an incredible gift to be espoused to Christ, who is never outdone in generosity. He’s opened every door that needed to be opened for this book to be published, and I trust that He’ll bring it into the hands of those whom it will help.