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 wifeAd uxorem (200-206)
On the Veiling of VirginsDe virginibus velandis (c. 206)
On Exhortation to Chastity De exhortatione castitatis (208-210)
On MonogamyDe monogamia (after 213)
On ModestyDe pudicitia (217-222)

St. Cyprian of Carthage
On the Dress of VirginsDe habitu virginum (249)
Letter to PomponiusEpist. 62 ad Pomponium de virginibus (before 258)

Pseudo-Clement
Two Epistles on VirginityEpistolae ad virgines (third century?)

St. Methodius
The Banquet of the Ten VirginsConvivium 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 virginEpist. 46 ad virginem lapsam (370-379)
Letter to AmphilochiusEpist. 199 ad Amphilochium (375)

St. Ephrem
Hymns on viriginityHymni de Eccesia et virginitate (363-373) [Google books preview]

St. Gregory of Nyssa
On VirginityDe virginitate (c. 371)

St. John Chrysostom
On Virginity – De virginitate (c. 381)
Letter to a Young WidowAd 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 VirginsDe virginibus (377)
OnWidowsDe 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 HelvidiusAdversus Helvidium de perpetua virginitate B. Mariae Virginis (383)
Letter 22 to EustochiumEpist. 22 ad Eustoquium de virginitate servanda (384)
Letter 24 to MarcellaEpist. 24 ad Marcellam de laudibus Asellae virginis (384)
Against JovinianContra Iovinianum libri duo (393)
Letter 107 to LaetaEpist. 107 ad Laetam de institutione filiae (401)
Against VigilantiusContra Virgilantium (406)
Letter 128 to GaudentiusEpist. 128 ad Gaudentium de institutione filiae Pacatulae (413)
Letter130 to DemetriasEpist. 130 ad Demetriadem de virginitate servanda (414)

St. Augustine
On ContinenceDe continentia (395)
On Holy VirginityDe sancta virginitate (401)
On the Good of WidowhoodDe bono viduitatis (414)
Letter 211 to a monasteryEpist. 211 ad monachas (423)

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Bonus: Papal addresses
 
His Holiness Pope Benedict XVI

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