Consecration to Virginity

for me for the past 12 years. I was very pleased to see them. I then blessed my community which was a very memorable experience.

I really enjoy being a priest. I enjoy expressing my love of God and of His Son Jesus Christ and His Gospel in my homilies. I love the message of repentance, forgiveness and salvation that comes through Jesus as we are drawn into His life. I enjoy celebrating Masses and feel I really enter the Eucharistic prayer of offering to the Father, in persona christi.

I see the life of a priest as centring around intercessory prayer for the people. My life as a monk is one of intercessory prayer in the Divine Office as I sing the psalms through, with and in Christ to His Father and mine. My priesthood deepens this. I am strongly aware that I am merely a channel of God’s grace and that people come to me for Christ and not for anything I have to offer. This takes the pressure off me, especially when celebrating Masses. At times I have felt nervous at the beginning of Mass, but then a calmness will instantly come upon me and I am reminded that this is real, God is really present and is helping me. In this and other ways, being a priest has affirmed my faith in a big way. Thanks be to God.

Sister Gabrielle Holden ocv Consecrated on 6th November 2021

By herself

Like all vocations, mine began with God reaching out to me with love many years ago. His calling took me on a long winding journey of searching for His will for me. With the onset of the Coronavirus Pandemic came a time of many hours of isolation in my small flat during which time I in my turn reached out to God in prayer and in discernment. Finally, I was able to see a way forward and make the decision to commit my life to God and to a life of virginity in the loving service of Christ and His Church. Initially I made a private commitment to God and then wrote to Bishop Patrick to request to be formally consecrated in the Order of Consecrated Virgins.

Having met with Bishop Patrick he agreed to my request and the date for my Solemn Consecration was set for Saturday 6th November 2021 at my parish of St. Peter’s in Leicester. Surrounded and witnessed by family, friends and parishioners the covenant of love between God and me was blessed and cemented during a beautiful ceremony conducted during the celebration of the Eucharist.

The life of a Consecrated Virgin dedicates a woman to God without the need to be separated from where they live. Rather, she is called to be close in loving service to the people around her; ministering and caring for the sick, the old, the dying, the lonely, the young and those who are marginalised. She is to testify to all through her life and example that God’s love is for everyone. Her life is nourished through private prayer, the Divine Office and through spiritual reading and the study of the Scriptures. The celebration and reception of the Eucharist is to be the beating heart of her life. Like Mary, the Consecrated Virgin says ‘Yes!’ to God becoming the Virgin handmaid in loving service to Him and in His Church with an undivided heart.