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
RĂ©union 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