Three brides in long, white dresses stood before the altar of the Cathedral of the Most Blessed Sacrament in Detroit. There was not a single groom in sight.
Like the 10 wise virgins from Matthew's Gospel, each carried a lighted lamp. Together, they joined their voices in an antiphon, "I am espoused to him whom the angels serve."
These women are "brides of Christ," and through this ceremony, they have sealed their intention to dedicate their lives to God in perpetual virginity.
"It's a promise that we make to be faithful to Christ all our life," Theresa Jordan explained shortly after the June 24 ceremony. "(We) make him a promise of our virginity as a gift back to him."
