Meister von San Apollinare Nuovo in Ravenna 002

The title Virgin (Latin ''Virgo'', Greek ) is an

honorific An honorific is a title that conveys esteem, courtesy, or respect for position or rank when used in addressing or referring to a person. Sometimes, the term "honorific" is used in a more specific sense to refer to an honorary academic title. It ...

bestowed on female

saint In religious belief, a saint is a person who is recognized as having an exceptional degree of Q-D-Š, holiness, likeness, or closeness to God. However, the use of the term ''saint'' depends on the context and Christian denomination, denominat ...

s and blesseds in some

Christian traditions Christian tradition is a collection of traditions consisting of practices or beliefs associated with Christianity. These ecclesiastical traditions have more or less authority based on the nature of the practices or beliefs and on the group in ques ...

, including the

Eastern Orthodox Church The Eastern Orthodox Church, also called the Orthodox Church, is the second-largest Christian church, with approximately 220 million baptized members. It operates as a communion of autocephalous churches, each governed by its bishops via ...

and the

Catholic Church The Catholic Church, also known as the Roman Catholic Church, is the largest Christian church, with 1.3 billion baptized Catholics worldwide . It is among the world's oldest and largest international institutions, and has played a ...

Chastity Chastity, also known as purity, is a virtue related to temperance. Someone who is ''chaste'' refrains either from sexual activity considered immoral or any sexual activity, according to their state of life. In some contexts, for example when mak ...

is one of the seven virtues in Christian tradition, listed by

Pope Gregory I Pope Gregory I ( la, Gregorius I; – 12 March 604), commonly known as Saint Gregory the Great, was the bishop of Rome from 3 September 590 to his death. He is known for instigating the first recorded large-scale mission from Rome, the Gregori ...

at the end of the 6th century. In

1 Corinthians The First Epistle to the Corinthians ( grc, Α΄ ᾽Επιστολὴ πρὸς Κορινθίους) is one of the Pauline epistles, part of the New Testament of the Christian Bible. The epistle is attributed to Paul the Apostle and a co-aut ...

Saint Paul Paul; grc, Παῦλος, translit=Paulos; cop, ⲡⲁⲩⲗⲟⲥ; hbo, פאולוס השליח (previously called Saul of Tarsus;; ar, بولس الطرسوسي; grc, Σαῦλος Ταρσεύς, Saũlos Tarseús; tr, Tarsuslu Pavlus; ...

suggests a special role for virgins or unmarried women () as more suitable for "the things of the Lord" (). In

2 Corinthians The Second Epistle to the Corinthians is a Pauline epistle of the New Testament of the Christian Bible. The epistle is attributed to Paul the Apostle and a co-author named Timothy, and is addressed to the church in Corinth and Christians in the ...

11:2, Paul alludes to the metaphor of the Church as

Bride of Christ The bride of Christ or the lamb's wife is a term used in reference to a group of related verses in the Bible, in the Gospels, Revelation, the Epistles and related verses in the Old Testament. Sometimes, the bride is implied by calling Jesus a br ...

by addressing the congregation "I have espoused you to one husband, that I may present you as a chaste virgin to Christ". In the theology of the

Church Fathers The Church Fathers, Early Church Fathers, Christian Fathers, or Fathers of the Church were ancient and influential Christian theologians and writers who established the intellectual and doctrinal foundations of Christianity. The historical per ...

, the prototype of the sacred virgin is

Mary, the mother of Jesus Mary; arc, ܡܪܝܡ, translit=Mariam; ar, مريم, translit=Maryam; grc, Μαρία, translit=María; la, Maria; cop, Ⲙⲁⲣⲓⲁ, translit=Maria was a first-century Jews, Jewish woman of Nazareth, the wife of Saint Joseph, Jose ...

, consecrated by the

Holy Spirit In Judaism, the Holy Spirit is the divine force, quality, and influence of God over the Universe or over his creatures. In Nicene Christianity, the Holy Spirit or Holy Ghost is the third person of the Trinity. In Islam, the Holy Spirit acts as ...

at the

Annunciation The Annunciation (from Latin '), also referred to as the Annunciation to the Blessed Virgin Mary, the Annunciation of Our Lady, or the Annunciation of the Lord, is the Christian celebration of the biblical tale of the announcement by the ange ...

. Although not stated in the gospels, the

perpetual virginity of Mary The perpetual virginity of Mary is a Christian doctrine that Mary, the mother of Jesus, was a virgin before, during and after the birth of Christ. In Western Christianity, the Catholic Church adheres to the doctrine, as do some Lutherans, Anglica ...

was widely upheld as a dogma by the Church Fathers from the 4th century.

Virgin martyrs

In the

hagiography A hagiography (; ) is a biography of a saint or an ecclesiastical leader, as well as, by extension, an adulatory and idealized biography of a founder, saint, monk, nun or icon in any of the world's religions. Early Christian hagiographies migh ...

Christian martyrs In Christianity, a martyr is a person considered to have died because of their testimony for Jesus or faith in Jesus. In years of the early church, stories depict this often occurring through death by sawing, stoning, crucifixion, burning at th ...

of the late 1st to early 4th centuries, virgin martyrs (Latin ' (Greek , Russian ) were often persecuted for their refusal to enter a worldly marriage after having vowed to keep their virginity for the sake of heaven. Other virgin martyrs lost their lives ''in defensum castitatis'' ("in defense of

chastity Chastity, also known as purity, is a virtue related to temperance. Someone who is ''chaste'' refrains either from sexual activity considered immoral or any sexual activity, according to their state of life. In some contexts, for example when mak ...

"). A group of virgin martyrs of the early church, namely Saints

Catherine of Alexandria Catherine of Alexandria (also spelled Katherine); grc-gre, ἡ Ἁγία Αἰκατερίνη ἡ Μεγαλομάρτυς ; ar, سانت كاترين; la, Catharina Alexandrina). is, according to tradition, a Christian saint and virgin, wh ...

Margaret of Antioch Margaret, known as Margaret of Antioch in the West, and as Saint Marina the Great Martyr ( grc-gre, Ἁγία Μαρίνα) in the East, is celebrated as a saint on 20 July in the Western Rite Orthodoxy, Roman Catholic Church and Anglicanism, o ...

, Barbara of Nicomedia and

Dorothea of Caesarea Dorothea of Caesarea (''Dorothea, Dora''; often just called ''Saint Dorothy'', died ca. 311 AD) is a 4th-century virgin martyr who was executed at Caesarea Mazaca. Evidence for her actual historical existence or ''acta'' is very sparse. She is ca ...

, is called "the four

capital virgins The four capital virgins, Latin: ''(quattuor) virgines capitales'', are a group of virgin martyrs of the early church. In literature they are also called ''main virgins'' or ''excellent virgins''. These are: Saint Catherine of Alexandria, Saint M ...

", three of them belong to the

Fourteen Holy Helpers The Fourteen Holy Helpers (german: Vierzehn Nothelfer, la, Quattuordecim auxiliatores) are a group of saints venerated together by Roman Catholic Christians because their intercession is believed to be particularly effective, especially against ...

. In the

Roman Missal The Roman Missal ( la, Missale Romanum) is the title of several missals used in the celebration of the Roman Rite. Along with other liturgical books of the Roman Rite, the Roman Missal contains the texts and rubrics for the celebration of the m ...

and the

Book of Hours The book of hours is a Christian devotional book used to pray the canonical hours. The use of a book of hours was especially popular in the Middle Ages and as a result, they are the most common type of surviving medieval illuminated manuscrip ...

, virgins and virgin martyrs have their own

common Common may refer to: Places * Common, a townland in County Tyrone, Northern Ireland * Boston Common, a central public park in Boston, Massachusetts * Cambridge Common, common land area in Cambridge, Massachusetts * Clapham Common, originally com ...

. Different

martyrologies A martyrology is a catalogue or list of martyrs and other saints and beatification, beati arranged in the calendar order of their anniversaries or feasts. Local martyrologies record exclusively the custom of a particular Church. Local lists were ...

(for example the

Martyrologium Romanum The ''Roman Martyrology'' ( la, Martyrologium Romanum) is the official martyrology of the Catholic Church. Its use is obligatory in matters regarding the Roman Rite liturgy, but dioceses, countries and religious institutes may add duly approv ...

or the

Martyrologium Hieronymianum The ''Martyrologium Hieronymianum'' (meaning "martyrology of Jerome") or ''Martyrologium sancti Hieronymi'' (meaning "martyrology of Saint Jerome") is an ancient martyrology or list of Christian martyrs in calendar order, one of the most used a ...

) list early virgin martyrs, some of which are also named in the

Canon of the Mass The Canon of the Mass ( la, Canon Missæ), also known as the Canon of the Roman Mass and in the Mass of Paul VI as the Roman Canon or Eucharistic Prayer I, is the oldest anaphora used in the Roman Rite of Mass. The name ''Canon Missæ'' was used in ...

. * Thecla of Iconium (1st century) * Sandukht of Armenia (1st century) *

Felicula Felicula was a probably fourth-century Roman martyr whose relics Pope Gregory I gave to Bishop John of Ravenna in about 592. She is mentioned in the ''Roman Martyrology'' on 13 June: "On the seventh milestone from the city of Rome on the Via Ardea ...

and Petronilla of Rome (d. c. 90) * Serapia of Antioch (c. 119) * Balbina of Rome (c. 130) *

Marina of Aguas Santas Saint Marina of Aguas Santas (Marina of Ourense) (c.120–135 AD) is a virgin martyr from Aguas Santas, in the province of Ourense. The story of her life as it has been preserved is a mixture of fact and legends. Legend The traditional account ...

(d. 139) * Cecilia of Rome (2nd c.) * Pudentiana of Rome (2nd c.) * Faith, Hope and Charity of Rome (2nd c.) *Melitina of Marcianopolis (2nd century) * Venera of Rome (d. 143) * Praxedes of Rome (d. 165) * Glyceria of Heraclea (d. 177) * Blandina of Lugdunum (d. 177) *

Agatha of Sicily Agatha of Sicily () is a Christian saint. Her feast is on 5 February. Agatha was born in Catania, part of the Roman Province of Sicily, and was martyred . She is one of several virgin martyrs who are commemorated by name in the Canon of the ...

(early 3rd c.) * Gundenis of Carthage (early 3rd c.) *

Paraskevi of Iconium Saint Paraskevi of Iconium (also known as ''Paraskeva Pyatnitsa'') is venerated as a Christian virgin martyr. According to Christian tradition, she was born to a rich family of Iconium. Her parents were Christian, and Paraskevi was named as ...

(3rd c.) * Estelle of Gaul (3rd c.) * Reparata of Caesarea (3rd c.) * Firmina of Rome (3rd c.) *Amonaria of Alexandria (3rd c.) *

Martina of Rome Martina of Rome was a Roman martyr under the Emperor Severus Alexander. A patron saint of Rome, she was martyred in 226, according to some authorities, more probably in 228, under the pontificate of Pope Urban I, according to others. Her feast ...

(d. 228) *

Tatiana of Rome Saint Tatiana was a Christian martyr in 3rd-century Rome during the reign of Emperor Severus Alexander. Biography According to legend, she was the daughter of a Roman civil servant who was secretly Christian, and raised his daughter in the fait ...

(d. 226 or 235) * Euthalia of Sicily (3rd c.) * Albina of Caesarea (250 AD) * Anastasia of Rome (250 AD) * Regina of Autun (c. 231 – c. 251 AD) * Rufina and Secunda of Rome (257 AD) * Maxima, Donatilla and Secunda of Tuburga (257 AD) *

Eugenia of Rome Eugenia of Rome (died c AD 258) was an early Christian Roman martyr whose feast day is celebrated on December 25 in the Roman Catholic Church, on December 24 (January 6, New Style) in the Eastern Orthodox Church, and on January 23 in the Armenia ...

(258 AD) * Barbara of Nicomedia (3rd c.) * Denise of Lampsacus (3rd c.) *

Christina of Bolsena Christina of Bolsena, also known as Christine, or in the Eastern Orthodox Church as Christina the Great Martyr, is venerated as a Christian martyr of the third century. Archaeological excavations of an underground cemetery constructed over her to ...

(3rd c.) * Vibiana (3rd c.) * Apollonia of Alexandria (d. 249) * Messalina of Foligno (d. 251) * Digna and Emerita of Rome (d. 259) *

Agrippina of Mineo Agrippina of Mineo, also known as Saint Agrippina (flourished 3rd century, died 262) was venerated as a virgin martyr in the Catholic Church and Orthodox Christianity. Legend Her legend states that she was a blonde princess born of a noble Roman ...

(d. 262) *

Columba of Sens Columba of Sens (probably born Eporita, d. 273), was a virgin and nun who was born to a noble pagan family in northwestern Spain. She left Spain for France as a child to avoid being denounced as a Christian and received the baptismal name Columb ...

(d. 273) * Pelagia of Antioch (late 3rd c.) * Daria of Rome (283 AD) * Justa and Rufina of Seville (d. 287) *

(d. 289) *

Theodosia of Tyre Saint Theodosia of Tyre, Lebanon, Tyre, according to the historian of the early Christian church Eusebius, was a seventeen-year-old girl who deliberately sought to be executed as a martyr to Christianity in the city of Caesarea Maritima, Caesarea ...

(d. 290) * Hripsime of Armenia (d. 290) * Demiana and the 40 Virgins *

Menodora, Metrodora, and Nymphodora Menodora, Metrodora, and Nymphodora (died ) are virgin martyrs venerated by the Roman Catholic and Eastern Orthodox churches. According to tradition, the three women were sisters from Bithynia in Asia Minor. They chose not to marry and to forsake ...

* Pelagia of Tarsus * Faith of Conques * Kyriaki of Nicomedia (d. 289) * Aquilina of Byblos (d. 293) * Susanna of Rome (d. 295) *

Eulalia of Barcelona Eulalia (c. 290 – February 12, 303), co-patron saint of Barcelona, was a 13-year-old Roman Christian virgin who was martyred in Barcelona during the persecution of Christians in the reign of emperor Diocletian (although the Sequence of Saint ...

(d. 303) * Engratia of Zaragoza (d. 303) * Euphemia of Chalcedon (d. 303) * Devota of Corsica (d. 303) * Rais of Tamman (d. 303) *

Marciana of Mauretania Marciana (also Marciana of Toledo) (died 9 January 304 in Caesarea, Mauretania Caesariensis)Shaw, p. 265 is venerated as a martyr and saint. The Latin account of her martyrdom was written possibly in the 5th century. Marciana's martydom occu ...

(d. 303) *

Agnes of Rome Agnes of Rome () is a virgin martyr, venerated as a saint in the Catholic Church, Oriental Orthodox Churches, Oriental Orthodox Church and the Eastern Orthodox Church, as well as the Anglican Communion and Lutheranism, Lutheran Churches. St. Agn ...

(d. 304) * Emerentiana of Rome (d. 304) *

Anastasia of Sirmium Saint Anastasia (died December 25 A.D. 304) is a Christian saint and martyr who died at Sirmium in the Roman province of Pannonia Secunda (modern Serbia). In the Eastern Orthodox Church, she is venerated as St. Anastasia the ''Pharmakolytria'', ...

(d. 304) * Charitina of Amisus (d. 304) *

Febronia of Nisibis Phebronia of Nisibis, also known as Phebronia of Sebapte, was a nun at Nisibis (modern-day Nusaybin, Turkey). She suffered persecution under Diocletian, who offered her freedom if she renounced her faith and married his nephew, Lysimachus, who ha ...

(d. 304) *

Justina of Padua Justina of Padua ( it, Santa Giustina di Padova) is a Christian saint and a patroness of Padua. Her feast day is October 7. She is often confused with Justina of Antioch. She was devoted to religion from her earliest years and took the vow of per ...

(d. 304) *

Lucia of Syracuse Lucia of Syracuse (283–304), also called Saint Lucia ( la, Sancta Lucia) better known as Saint Lucy, was a Roman Christian martyr who died during the Diocletianic Persecution. She is venerated as a saint in the Catholic, Anglican, Lutheran, a ...

(d. 304) * Agape, Chionia, and Irene of Thessalonica (d. 304) * Philomena of Rome (d. 304) *

Eulalia of Mérida Eulalia of Mérida (Augusta Emerita in 292 - Augusta Emerita 10 December, 304) was a young Roman Christian martyred in Augusta Emerita, the capital of Lusitania (modern Mérida, Spain), during the Persecution of Christians under Diocletian. O ...

(d. 304) *

Juliana of Nicomedia Saint Juliana of Nicomedia is said to have suffered Christian martyrdom during the Diocletianic persecution in 304. She was popular in the Middle Ages, especially in the Netherlands, as the patron saint of sickness. Historical background Both th ...

(d. 304) * Afra of Augsburg (d. 304) *

Victoria of Albitina :''See Saint Victoria (disambiguation) for other saints with this name.'' Saint Victoria (died 304 AD) is venerated as a martyr and saint by the Catholic Church. Her legend states that she was of the North African nobility and refused an arranged m ...

(d. 304) * Trofimena of Sicily (d. 304) *

Theodora of Alexandria Theodora of Alexandria was a saint and Desert Mother who was married to a prefect of Egypt. In order to perform penance for adultery, she disguised herself as a man and, pretending to be a eunuch, joined a monastery in the Thebaid. Her true ide ...

(d. 304) * Justina of Antioch (d. 304) *

Anysia of Salonika Saint Anysia of Salonika was a Christian virgin and martyr of the 4th century. Anysia was born to a wealthy and pious Christian family in what is now Thessaloniki. She dedicated herself to vows of chastity and poverty, praying and helping the p ...

(d. 304) * Crispina of Numidia (d. 304) * Leocadia of Toledo (d. 304) * Victoria of Córdoba (d. 304) *

(d. 305) * Vasilissa of Nicomedia (d. 309) * Berenice and Prosdoce of Syria (d. 310) *

(d. 311) *

Fausta of Cyzicus Fausta of Cyzicus, also known as Saint Fausta (c. 298 – 311), was a 4th-century girl from Cyzicus. At the age of 13, she was arrested, tortured, and executed for being a Christian. A pagan priest, Evilasius, was responsible for torturing and ...

(d. 311) * Antonina of Constantinople (d. 313) * Bibiana of Rome (d. 361/3) * Ursula of Cologne and Companions, such as Leticia,

Cordula Cordula may mean: * Cordula (name) * Saint Cordula, virgin martyr ** ''Cordula. Graubündner Sage'', an epic poem by Max Waldau, of 1854 * ''Cordula'', a slipper orchid genus nowadays synonymous with ''Paphiopedilum'' * ''Cordula (film)'', 1950 f ...

,… (d. 384; various other traditional dates) * Quiteria (5th century) * Noyale of Brittany (5th century) *

Ia of Cornwall Saint Ia of Cornwall (also known as ''Eia'', ''Hia'' or ''Hya'') was an evangelist and martyr of the 5th or 6th centuries in Cornwall. She is said to have been an Irish princess, the sister of Erc of Slane and a student of Saint Baricus. Legen ...

(5th century) *

Augusta of Treviso Saint Augusta of Treviso, also known as ''Augusta of Ceneda'', ''Augusta of Tarvisium'', or ''Augusta of Serravalle'', is venerated as a virgin martyr. Background Her ''Acts'' were written in the 16th century by Minuccio Minucci di Serravalle, wh ...

(5th century) *

Julia of Corsica Saint Julia of Corsica ( it, Santa Giulia da Corsica; french: Sainte Julie; co, Santa Ghjulia; la, Sancta Iulia), also known as Saint Julia of Carthage, and more rarely Saint Julia of Nonza, was a virgin martyr who is venerated as a Christia ...

(d. 439) *

Olivia of Palermo Olivia of Palermo ( it, Oliva dì Palermo, scn, Uliva di Palermu), Palermo, 448 – Tunis, 10 June 463, Sant' Oliva di Palermo Vergine e martire'' SANTI, BEATI E TESTIMONI. 10 giugno. Retrieved: February 2, 2015. Daniele Ronco (2001). Il Maggi ...

(d. 448) * Eluned of Brecon (d. 468) * Juthwara (6th century) * Nympha of Palermo (6th century) *

Columba of Cornwall :''See Columba (disambiguation) and St Columb (disambiguation) for other uses.'' Columba of Cornwall (Welsh, and in Latin, translated to modern English as ''dove''), also called Columb (English), was a saint from Cornwall who lived in the ...

(6th century) *

Christina of Persia Christina (Syriac: ܟܪܣܛܝܢܐ, ''Kresṭīnā''),Jeanne-Nicole Mellon Saint-Laurent et al."Christine Yazdouy (text) — ܟܪܣܛܝܢܐ ܝܙܕܘܝ "in ''Bibliotheca Hagiographica Syriaca Electronica'' (2015). born Yazdoi (fl. 6th century), was ...

(6th century) * Dymphna of Geel (7th century) * Alena of Brussels (d. 640) *

Irene of Tomar Saint Irene of Tomar ( pt, Santa Iria) (c.635 – c.653) was a Christian who was martyred for her faith in Visigothic Portugal. Her parents, wishing to protect her, sent her to a convent school and a private tutor. The only times she left her hous ...

(c. 653) * Winifred of Treffynnon (d. c. 660) *

Theodosia of Constantinople Saint Theodosia of Constantinople ( el, Ἁγία Θεοδοσία ἡ Κωνσταντινουπολίτισσα, translit=Hagia Theodosia hē Kōnstantinoupolitissa) is an Eastern Orthodox nun and martyr who lived through and opposed the Byzanti ...

(d. 729) * Sidwell of Devon (c. 740) * Febronia of Syria (d. 749) * Columba of Córdoba (d. 853) * Belina of Troyes (d. 1153), canonized in 1203 * Margaret of Louvain (d. 1225) * Markella of Chios (14th century) *

Joan of Arc Joan of Arc (french: link=yes, Jeanne d'Arc, translit= �an daʁk} ; 1412 – 30 May 1431) is a patron saint of France, honored as a defender of the French nation for her role in the siege of Orléans and her insistence on the coronati ...

(d. 1431), canonized in 1920 * Irene of Lesbos (d. 1463) *

Helen of Sinope The Helen of Sinope, a virgin martyr, was the daughter of the Bekiary family and lived in the eighteenth century in Sinope, the oldest city of Pontus in modern-day Turkey."The Synaxarion. The Lives of the Saints of the Orthodox Church", Volume 2, ...

(1700s) *

Kyranna of Thessaloniki Kyranna of Thessaloniki (Greek language, Greek: Κυράννα; 1731-1751) is an Eastern Orthodox Church, Orthodox Christian saint and new martyr. Her feast day is on 28 February. She was allegedly killed by an Ottoman Empire, Ottoman official, who ...

(d. 1751) *

Maria Goretti Maria Teresa Goretti (; October 16, 1890 – July 6, 1902) is an Italian virgin-martyr of the Catholic Church, and one of the youngest saints to be canonized. She was born to a farming family. Her father died when she was nine, and the family ...

(1890–1902), canonized in 1950 *

Edith Stein Edith Stein (religious name Saint Teresia Benedicta a Cruce ; also known as Saint Teresa Benedicta of the Cross or Saint Edith Stein; 12 October 1891 – 9 August 1942) was a German Jewish philosopher who converted to Christianity and became a ...

(1942), canonized in 1998 * Laura del Carmen Vicuña Pino, beatified in 1988 * Karolina Kózka (1914), beatified in 1987 * Albertina Berkenbrock (1931, beatified in 2007 *

Antonia Mesina Antonia Mesina (21 June 1919 - 17 May 1935) was an Italian people, Italian Roman Catholic Church, Roman Catholic and part of Catholic Action. Mesina was murdered in mid-1935 after she attempted to fend off a would-be rapist and suffered 74 strikes ...

(1935), beatified in 1987 * Nina Kuznetsova (Нина Кузнецова) martyr of Vologda (1938), canonized in the

Russian Orthodox Church , native_name_lang = ru , image = Moscow July 2011-7a.jpg , imagewidth = , alt = , caption = Cathedral of Christ the Saviour in Moscow, Russia , abbreviation = ROC , type ...

Benigna Cardoso da Silva Benigna Cardoso da Silva (15 October 1928 – 24 October 1941) was a Brazilian Catholic child. In her childhood she was adopted following the deaths of her parents, and was noted for aiding in household chores and attending Mass on a regular ba ...

(1941), beatified in 2020 * Maria Restituta Kafka (1943), beatified in 1998 * Anna Kolesárová (1944), beatified in 2018 * Pierina Morosini (1957), beatified in 1987 * Veronica Antal (1958), beatified in 2018 * Marie-Clémentine Anuarite Nengapeta (1964), beatified in 1985 * Lindalva Justo de Oliveira (1993), beatified in 2007

Consecrated virgins

The tradition of the rite of the ''Consecratio virginum'' (consecration of a virgin) dates back to the 4th century, the form of life to apostolic times. The first known formal consecration is that of

Saint Marcellina Marcellina (c. 327 – 397) was born in Trier, Gaul the daughter of the Praetorian prefect of Gaul, and was the elder sister of Ambrose of Milan and Satyrus of Milan. Marcellina devoted her life as a consecrated virgin to the practice of prayer a ...

, dated AD 353, mentioned in ''De Virginibus'' by her brother, Saint Ambrose. Another early consecrated virgin is Saint Genevieve (c. 422 – c. 512). According to

Raymond of Capua Raymond of Capua, (ca. 1303 – 5 October 1399) was a leading member of the Dominican Order and served as its Master of the Order of Preachers, Master General from 1380 until his death. First as Provincial superior, Prior Provincial of Lombar ...

, Saint

Catherine of Siena Catherine of Siena (Italian: ''Caterina da Siena''; 25 March 1347 – 29 April 1380), a member of the Third Order of Saint Dominic, was a mystic, activist, and author who had a great influence on Italian literature and on the Catholic Church. ...

(c. 1347–1380) at the age of twenty-one (c. 1368) experienced what she described in her letters as a

Mystical marriage __NOTOC__ Within the Christianity, Christian tradition, bridal theology, also referred to as mystical marriage, is the New Testament portrayal of communion with Jesus as a marriage, and God's reign as a wedding banquet. This tradition in turn trac ...

with

Jesus Christ Jesus, likely from he, יֵשׁוּעַ, translit=Yēšūaʿ, label=Hebrew/Aramaic ( AD 30 or 33), also referred to as Jesus Christ or Jesus of Nazareth (among other names and titles), was a first-century Jewish preacher and religious ...

, later a popular subject in art as the ''

Mystic marriage of Saint Catherine The mystical marriage of Saint Catherine (or "Mystic") covers two different subjects in Christian art arising from visions received by either Catherine of Alexandria or Catherine of Siena (1347–1380), in which these virgin saints went through a ...

''. Canon 922 of the

Catechism of the Catholic Church The ''Catechism of the Catholic Church'' ( la, Catechismus Catholicae Ecclesiae; commonly called the ''Catechism'' or the ''CCC'') is a catechism promulgated for the Catholic Church by Pope John Paul II in 1992. It aims to summarize, in book for ...

states that "From apostolic times Christian virgins, called by the Lord to cling only to him with greater freedom of heart, body, and spirit, have decided with the Church's approval to live in a state of virginity 'for the sake of the Kingdom of heaven'." Virgins are consecrated for the church as a bride of Christ both in the Orthodox churches and the Roman Catholic church. While in the latter one the consecration has been bestowed for centuries only for nuns living in cloistered monasteries, the bestowal for women living in the world has been reintroduced under

Pope Paul VI Pope Paul VI ( la, Paulus VI; it, Paolo VI; born Giovanni Battista Enrico Antonio Maria Montini, ; 26 September 18976 August 1978) was head of the Catholic Church and sovereign of the Vatican City, Vatican City State from 21 June 1963 to his ...

in 1970.''Ordo Consecrationis Virginum'' (31 May 1970), '' AAS'' 62 (1970) 650 = ''EDIL'' 2082-2092 = ''DOL'' 294 no. 3352. English translation: ''The Rites of the Catholic Church'' 2 (n. 29, p. 81), 132-164, ''DOL'' 395 nos. 3253-3262. The number of consecrated virgins ranges in the thousands. Estimates derived from the diocesan records range at around 5,000 consecrated virgins worldwide as of 2018.Bernadette Mary Reis
"Church reproposes Order of Virgins 50 years after its restoration"
Vatican News, 4 July 2018.

References

*Karen A. Winstead, ''Chaste Passions: Medieval English Virgin Martyr Legends'', Cornell University Press (2000). {{Saints Types of saints Religious titles

Virgin martyrs

Consecrated virgins

See also

References