Church Fathers

Here are some readings from the Church Fathers’ writings pertaining to consecrated virginity. As I have it listed here, the English title of each work is followed by the Latin, and then by the date it is believed to have been written.

 

A good portion of these readings can be found online, in English. For those that are, I have included the appropriate links—just click on the English title.

 

This list is loosely based on the Patristic bibliography by Francisco Vizmanos, S.J. in his 1949 book Las Virgenes Cristianas de la Iglesia Primativa. For anyone interested in seeing Vizmanos’ original list, please email me with a request for a copy.

 

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St. Ignatius of Antioch

Letter to the Smyrnaeans (90-110)

Tertullian

Letter to his wife – Ad uxorem (200-206)
On the Veiling of Virgins – De virginibus velandis (c. 206)
On Exhortation to Chastity – De exhortatione castitatis (208-210)
On Monogamy – De monogamia (after 213)
On Modesty – De pudicitia (217-222)

St. Cyprian of Carthage
On the Dress of Virgins – De habitu virginum (249)
Letter to Pomponius – Epist. 62 ad Pomponium de virginibus (before 258)

Pseudo-Clement
Two Epistles on Virginity – Epistolae ad virgines (third century?)

St. Methodius

The Banquet of the Ten Virgins – Convivium decem virginum (before 311)

Pope Liberius
Homily at the consecration of St. Marcellina, as found in book III of De Virginibus, by St. Ambrose (353)

St. Athanasius

Festal Letter 1 (c. 329)
Festal Letter 10 (c. 338)
Festal Letter 48 (before 354)

Pseudo-Athanasius
On Virginity [Google books limited preview]

St. Basil the Great

Letter to a fallen virgin – Epist. 46 ad virginem lapsam (370-379)
Letter to Amphilochius – Epist. 199 ad Amphilochium (375)

St. Ephrem

Hymns on viriginity – Hymni de Eccesia et virginitate (363-373) [Google books preview]

St. Gregory of Nyssa

On Virginity – De virginitate (c. 371)

St. John Chrysostom
On Virginity – De virginitate (c. 381)

Letter to a Young Widow – Ad viduam iuniorem (c. 381)
De non iterando coniugio (c. 381)
Adversus eos qui apud se habent virgines introductas (p.398)
Quod regulares feminae viris cohabitare non debeant (p. 398)

St. Ambrose

On Virgins – De virginibus (377)
OnWidows – De viduis (377)
On Virginity – De virginitate (378)
Letters 5 and 6 to Syagrius – Epist. 5 et 6 ad Syagrium de causa Indiciae virginis (c. 380)
Letter 42 to Syricius – Epist. 42 ad Syricium de erroribus contra virginitatem (c. 389)
De institutione virginis et Sanctae Mariae virginitate perpetua (392)
Exhortation to Virginity – Exhortatio virginitatis (393)

St. Jerome
Against Helvidius – Adversus Helvidium de perpetua virginitate B. Mariae Virginis (383)
Letter 22 to Eustochium – Epist. 22 ad Eustoquium de virginitate servanda (384)
Letter 24 to Marcella – Epist. 24 ad Marcellam de laudibus Asellae virginis (384)
Against Jovinian – Contra Iovinianum libri duo (393)
Letter 107 to Laeta – Epist. 107 ad Laetam de institutione filiae (401)
Against Vigilantius – Contra Virgilantium (406)
Letter 128 to Gaudentius – Epist. 128 ad Gaudentium de institutione filiae Pacatulae (413)
Letter130 to Demetrias – Epist. 130 ad Demetriadem de virginitate servanda (414)

St. Augustine
On Continence – De continentia (395)
On Holy Virginity – De sancta virginitate (401)
On the Good of Widowhood – De bono viduitatis (414)
Letter 211 to a monastery – Epist. 211 ad monachas (423)

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Bonus: Papal addresses

 

His Holiness Pope Benedict XVI

Address to participants in the 2008 international pilgrimage of the order of virgins (see also the original Italian version).