Recently, we have been hearing quite often about consecrated virgins. However, few people know that there is also another religious formation in the Church, which can be chosen not only by women, but also by men. We are talking about consecrated widows and widowers. According to data from the Catholic Information Agency from January last year, there were 397 consecrated widows and only one widower in our country. Now, their group has grown by four more people from the Kielce diocese.
Four women joined the group of consecrated widows
On June 30, four widows from the Kielce diocese underwent the rite of consecration. It is a voluntary service, consisting of maintaining vows of chastity and dedicating one’s life to prayer and the Church. – The path to an individual form of consecrated life, which is consecrated widowhood, is not a transition from a worse state to a better one, but it is a conscious and voluntary response given to Jesus, who continues to call us: “Follow me” – said Bishop Jan Piotrowski, quoted on the diocese’s website.
During the consecration ceremony, the bishop blesses the widows’ wedding rings, which are a sign of the bond with Christ. As we learn from the website of the Center for the Promotion of Individual Forms of Consecrated Life, consecration does not break the current family ties of the women who decide on it. However, it puts them in a new situation and changes their lives.
What does the everyday life of consecrated widows look like?
Consecrated widows, like virgins and hermits, do not normally live in convents. They often have children, grandchildren, and jobs. They decide to consecrate themselves after their husbands die. They are then certain that they do not want to seek further relationships. As we learn from an article published on the Catholic portal Deon.pl: “They are active in the parish, in various church works, and take an intensive part in religious life. They do not bear any clear sign of their dedication to God.”
Source: Gazeta
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