At the consecration of the third Perpetual Virgin in Ghana, a Prelate of the West African country says “The Holy Spirit, the Paraclete, through baptism has already made her “a temple of God’s glory and a child of God.”
“Through your ministry he anoints you with a new grace and consecrates you to God by a new tittle. He also gives you the dignity of being a bride of Christ and binds you to the Son of God in a covenant to last forever”, Bishop Vincent Sowah Boin-Nai, SVD, outgoing Bishop of the Yendi Diocese told Sr. Agnes Livinus Duniya, OV.
The August 6, 2022 consecration of Sr. Duniya into the Ordo Virginum (Order of Virgins) was held at the Our Lady of Lourdes Cathedral at Yendi.
“Make your whole life to reflect your vocation and your dignity. Imitate the Mother of God, desire to be called and be the handmaid of the Lord, preserve the fullness of your faith, the steadfastness of your hope, the single heartedness of your love,” Bishop Boi-Nai urged.
He exhorted the new Perpetual Virgin to “keep the glory of God your virginity, uncorrupted by pride. Nourish your love of God by feeding on the body of Christ, strengthen it by self-denial, build it up by study of the scriptures, by untiring prayer and by works of mercy.”
With her consecration Sr. Agnes, OV, becomes the third Perpetual Virgin of the Catholic Church in Ghana following in the footsteps of Sr. Veronica A. Thompson, OV, of Accra Archdiocese who was consecrated on September 8, 2010 and Sr. Margaret Cornelia Buah, OV, of Sekondi-Takoradi Diocese who was Consecrated on February 20, 2014.
Consecrated Virgins are women who have been consecrated by a validly ordained Bishop to a life of perpetual virginity as a bride of Christ.
Srs. Veronica and Margaret accompanied the candidate to the Bishop to be consecrated after which she was vested with her insignia of consecration namely, a veil which sets them apart from other women as chosen for Jesus Christ, a ring which marks her as a Bride of Jesus Christ, Son of God and the Liturgy of the Hours (Divine Office) as she is called to pray for the Church, especially for the Pope and all Priests and in particular, all people.
Consecrated Virgins do not wear habits but in the case of Sr. Agnes, Bishop Boi-Nai as the Local Ordinary, exercised his prerogative to request her to wear an Identifiable Garb. Hence, he gave her a habit to wear.
Sr. Agnes hails from Kagoro, a town in Kaduna State in the Diocese of Kafachan in Nigeria. She was previously a member of the Missionary Sisters of the Poorest of the Poor (ANAWIM Sisters) working in Yendi Diocese before she opted to join the Order of Virgins in 2020.
The Ordo Virginum is the most ancient form of Consecrated Life which was not formed by anyone but is a gift from the Holy Spirit to the Catholic Church and for the Church. Even though rarely known in Ghana, it has over 7,000 members across the world with France having the largest number. Majority of consecrate virgins are in Western and Eastern Europe as well as in Asia. But the Order is beginning to flourish in Africa.
The Diocesan Bishop consecrates a virgin or he may delegate another Bishop to consecrate her. The Bishop remains the Custodian of the Consecrated Virgin until her Bridegroom, Jesus Christ, comes to claim her. The virgin lives a life of Bridal Mysticism in the Eschatological Life promised by Jesus to all who love and follow Him in this earthly life.
Thus, Consecrated Virgins, by virtue of their mystical marriage to Christ, live in solitude to exemplify to the faithful that it is very possible to live now as we shall in heaven with the Lamb. Members of the Ordo Virginum, therefore, live their vocation individually under the direction of their Diocesan Bishops.
Any woman who feels called by the Holy Spirit who has never married or lived in open violation of chastity, and who by age, prudence, and good character is deemed suitable for dedicating herself to a life of chastity to the Lord and in service of the Church and of her neighbour, may petition her Bishop to set her on the path for consecration.
By Francis E. Monnie//Newsawtcgh.com
