I am delighted to invite the whole diocese to celebrate my consecration in St Mary’s Cathedral at noon on Saturday September 26, writes EMMA MORRISON.
I first wrote a piece for the Voice on consecrated virginity in December 2023, shortly after I was first accepted for formation by Bishop Terry.
Since then, it has continued to be such a blessing to share in more depth what this vocation is with people from across the diocese and beyond.
Among the many ups and downs of my formation, one of the real highlights which is on my mind as I prepare for September was attending the consecration of my friend Bethan, who was consecrated by Bishop (now Archbishop) Richard Moth.
I was privileged to be one of her attendants (a bit like bridesmaids!) meaning I had a front row view of the beauty of this rite. A reflection Bethan shared with me afterwards was how much more both the laity and the clergy of her diocese “got it” after seeing the actual rite of consecration.
During the rite, consecrated virgins are presented with three “insignia of consecration”, which indicate to us as consecrated women and the Church what this vocation is about.
We are given a ring, which I will wear every day as a sign of our bond with both Christ and the Church, and a veil, which is an expression of the bridal nature of this vocation (however, unlike religious sisters, consecrated virgins generally only wear their veil on the day of consecration). The final insignia is a book of the Liturgy of the Hours, as an encouragement to constant prayer for the Church and the world.
The rite of consecration also holds beautiful imagery pointing towards both the universal vocation of each of our baptisms and the more mysterious bridal nature of the virginal consecration.
During the rite, the woman to be consecrated carries a candle, both as a reminder of our baptismal candle and the parable of the ten bridesmaids in which Jesus refers to himself as the bridegroom.
Similarly, on the day it is the norm that women wear a white dress, which outwardly to our family and friends will look very much like a wedding dress. However, for Christians it also reminds us of our white baptismal garments.
The overlap between the baptismal and the bridal imagery points toward the fact that the bridal relationship at the heart of the consecration is not just a “nice thing” for me personally as a young, unmarried woman, but that this relationship with Jesus the Bridegroom is calling for the whole Church as the bride, and that every Christian, whether young or old, married or unmarried, male or female, is invited to live a deeply personal, prayerful and intimate relationship with the Lord.
A question I am frequently asked when I share with people that I am preparing for this consecration is, “What will you do?”
The answer is the only “job” that we have to do is prayer. The rest of our life and our vocation depend on the personal charisms of the woman, and her discernment of what the Holy Spirit is calling her to.
In my life at present this means that I will continue to be involved in my parish community and will continue work as a doctor, but will also continue to discern whatever activities and ministries God is calling me to in each season of my life.
The Gospel reading I have chosen for the consecration Mass is Mary and Martha – it is one of my favourite Gospel stories, hearing how these two women wanted to welcome Jesus.
However, it is also a significant reminder for me as I start living out this vocation, and to each one of us, of Jesus’ invite that we are “distracted and worried by many things, but there is need of only one thing”.
The point of the vocation of consecrated virginity is not to do one thing or another, but an invitation to listen to and live in complete relationship with the Lord.
One of the most important aspects of consecrated virginity to me is that it is a diocesan vocation, reflected by the fact that the consecration is meant to be performed by the diocesan bishop, in the diocesan cathedral.
Some of the most encouraging moments in my discernment and journey to being consecrated have been being at events with the Diocese of Middlesbrough community over the past few years, so I am excited share this special day with the diocese, and I hope many of you are able to join the celebration on September 26.
Invitation to celebration of lifelong commitment
