Who are consecrated virgins?
Who are consecrated virgins?
Following are educated estimates of the current number of consecrated virgins in various countries of the world, based upon information that was presented January 30, 2016 at a gathering of the Ordo Virginum in Rome for the close of the Year of Consecrated Life. The Vatican's Annuario Pontifico, which ordinarily catalogs ecclesiastical statistics, does not yet track the vocation of consecrated virginity lived in the world.
In the world: approximately 4,000 consecrated virgins in 2015:
| Country (listed alphabetically) | Number of Virgins | updated |
| Algeria | 57 | 1/30/2016 |
| Andorra | 1 | 1/30/2016 |
| Argentina | 189 | 1/30/2016 |
| Australia | 8 | 1/30/2016 |
| Austria | 38 | 1/30/2016 |
| Bangladesh | 9 | 1/30/2016 |
| Belgium | 45 | 1/30/2016 |
| Berlin | 5 | 1/30/2016 |
| Bolivia | 1 | 1/30/2016 |
| Brazil | 80 | 1/30/2016 |
| Burkina Faso | 29 | 1/30/2016 |
| Burundi | 54 | 1/30/2016 |
| Cameroon | 2 | 1/30/2016 |
| Cameroun | 5 | 1/30/2016 |
| Canada | 50 | 1/30/2016 |
| Chili | 4 | 1/30/2016 |
| Columbia | 27 | 1/30/2016 |
| Congo Republic Democratic | 1 | 1/30/2016 |
| Costa Rica | 9 | 1/30/2016 |
| Cuba | 4 | 1/30/2016 |
| Czech Republic | 40 | 1/30/2016 |
| Denmark | 3 | 1/30/2016 |
| Dominican Republic | 50 | 1/30/2016 |
| El Salvador | 1 | 1/30/2016 |
| Equador | 35 | 1/30/2016 |
| Finland | 2 | 1/30/2016 |
| France | 620 | 1/30/2016 |
| Gautemala | 5 | 1/30/2016 |
| Germany | 200 | 1/30/2016 |
| Ghana | 2 | 1/30/2016 |
| Gibraltar | 1 | 1/30/2016 |
| Great Britian | 30 | 1/30/2016 |
| Haiti | 1 | 1/30/2016 |
| Hong-Kong | 2 | 1/30/2016 |
| Hungary | 5 | 1/30/2016 |
| Iceland | 1 | 1/30/2016 |
| India | 4 | 1/30/2016 |
| Iraq | 5 | 1/30/2016 |
| Ireland | 60 | 1/30/2016 |
| Israel | 2 | 1/30/2016 |
| Italy | 600 | 1/30/2016 |
| Ivory Coast | 3 | 1/30/2016 |
| Jamaica | 1 | 1/30/2016 |
| Jordan | 7 | 1/30/2016 |
| Kenya | 2 | 1/30/2016 |
| Latvia | 1 | 1/30/2016 |
| Lebanon | 7 | 1/30/2016 |
| Lithuania | 1 | 1/30/2016 |
| Luxemburg | 3 | 1/30/2016 |
| Malaysia | 2 | 1/30/2016 |
| Malta | 5 | 1/30/2016 |
| Mexico | 250 | 1/30/2016 |
| Mozambique | 1 | 1/30/2016 |
| Netherlands | 4 | 1/30/2016 |
| New Zealand | 12 | 1/30/2016 |
| Nicaragua | 2 | 1/30/2016 |
| Nigeria | 4 (3 in Otukpo) | 8/22/2018 |
| Peru | 6 | 1/30/2016 |
| Poland | 221 | 1/30/2016 |
| Portugal | 23 | 1/30/2016 |
| Puerto Rico | 20 | 1/30/2016 |
| Republic of Congo | 6 | 1/30/2016 |
| Réunion | 1 | 1/30/2016 |
| Romania | 250 | 1/30/2016 |
| Russia | 4 | 1/30/2016 |
| Rwanda | 9 | 1/30/2016 |
| Saudi Arabia | 1 | 1/30/2016 |
| Senegal | 1 | 1/30/2016 |
| Slovakia | 6 | 1/30/2016 |
| South Africa | 19 | 1/30/2016 |
| Spain | 213 | 1/30/2016 |
| Switzerland | 60 | 1/30/2016 |
| Tanzania | 1 | 1/30/2016 |
| Thailand | 1 | 1/30/2016 |
| Tunisia | 1 | 1/30/2016 |
| Ukraine | 9 | 1/30/2016 |
| United States | 254 | 8/22/2018 |
| Venezuela | 25 | 1/30/2016 |
| Zambia | 1 | 1/30/2016 |
Updated numbers may be submitted to info@consecratedvirgins.org
Occupations and professions
In the United States, consecrated virgins today include teachers, social workers, business women, librarians, accountants, nurses, physicians, a fire fighter, women employed in a variety of Church positions, a dance teacher, psychologists, retired women, disabled women, women dedicated to prayer or devoted to the care of a family member, those dedicated to volunteer work, as well as other professions. It is a diverse group!
Spirituality
Overarching this diversity, consecrated virgins naturally hold much in common with one another. Our common spirituality is that of living as a bride of Christ, the spirituality of the Church herself, and of our Blessed Mother. Some members also follow a preferred Franciscan, Dominican, Benedictine, Carmelite or Ignation spirituality. We long for times of Eucharistic adoration, we hold heartfelt love for th Church, we find joy in supporting our Bishops and priests, we delight in the Sacraments, and we long for the life to come when we shall see our Bridegroom face to face. (The Companion Discernment Guide to Consecrated Virgins in Today's Church, pg 10.)
Each of the following U.S. dioceses are known to have or have had one or more women consecrated as virgins living in the world as of 2017:
Alabama: Birmingham, Mobile
Arkansas: Little Rock
California: Los Angeles, Oakland, Orange, Sacramento, San Diego, San Francisco, San Jose
Colorado: Colorado Springs, Denver, Pueblo
Connecticut: Bridgeport, Hartford
Florida: Miami, Palm Beach, St. Augustine, St. Petersburg
Georgia: Savannah
Hawaii: Honolulu
Iowa: Davenport, Sioux City
Illinois: Chicago, Joliet, Peoria, Rockford, Springfield
Indiana: Fort Wayne-south Bend, Gary, Indianapolis, Lafayette
Kansas: Kansas City
Kentucky: Covington
Louisiana: Alexandria, Lafayette
Massachusetts: Boston, Fall River, Springfield, Worcester
Maryland: Baltimore, Washington, DC
Maine: Portland
Michigan: Detroit, Grand Rapids, Lansing
Minnesota: New Ulm, St. Paul and Minneapolis
Missouri: Jefferson City, Kansas City-St. Joseph, Springfield-Cape Girardeau, St. Louis
North Dakota: Bismark, Fargo
Nebraska: Omaha
New Jersey: Camden, Metuchen, Newark, Paterson, Trenton
New Mexico: Gallup, Santa Fe
New York: Albany, Brooklyn, Buffalo, New York City, Ogdensburg, Rochester, Rockville Center
Ohio: Cincinnati, Cleveland, Columbus, Steubenville, Toledo, Youngstown
Oklahoma: Oklahoma City, Tulsa
Oregon: Portland
Pennsylvania: Allentown, Altoona-Johnstown, Erie, Harrisburg, Philadelphia, Pittsburgh, Scranton
Rhode Island: Providence
South Carolina: Charleston
South Dakota: Rapid City, Sioux Falls
Tennessee: Memphis
Texas: Austin, Brownsville, Dallas, Fort Worth, Galveston-Houston, Lubbock
Virginia: Arlington, Richmond
Vermont: Burlington
Washington: Seattle, Spokane, Yakima
Wisconsin: Green Bay, La Crosse, Madison, Milwaukee
West Virginia: Wheeling-Charleston