FT. WAYNE, Ind. – Hundreds came out Saturday to watch an Indiana woman become a consecrated virgin.
Bishop Kevin C. Rhoades and the assembly congratulate Jessica Hayes, a theology teacher from Bishop Dwenger High School in Fort Wayne, who on Saturday, Aug. 15, was consecrated to a life of virginity. Hayes is the first consecrated virgin of the diocese since the late Sister Jane Carew was consecrated Dec. 8, 1990. Courtesy: Fort Wayne-South Bend Diocese
Jessica Hayes, 38, wore a wedding dress for the ceremony, in which she is considered the bride and Jesus Christ is the groom.
Hayes is the first woman to become a consecrated virgin in the Fort Wayne-South Bend Catholic Diocese in the last 25 years.
The position is different from that of a nun in she is still considered a “lay” person.
There are roughly 3,000 consecrated virgins in the world and more than 200 in the United States.
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