Stephanie is 20 years old. She studies Catholic Theology in Ave Maria University in Naples, Florida. Inspired by the Lord, she created a “Chastity Team,” with the mission of promoting this virtue and letting young people know what true love is.

Have you always practiced your faith?
I was raised in a Catholic home with one brother and two sisters. My mother made sure that I received the sacraments and attended Mass every Sunday while growing up. My discovery, however, of the Catholic faith and of Christ’s love for me came largely from outside my family. Thanks to God’s great mercy and compassion, He has brought me to the Home of the Mother, where I’ve received most of my formation in the faith.

When and where did the inspiration to begin the Chastity Team come from?
First off, all praise and glory be to Our Lord and Our Lady for inspiring in me the idea. I am merely an instrument that God has chosen to use to carry out this apostolate. Since I first discovered the virtue of chastity, I’ve been especially drawn towards it. It began in my childhood when I read the life of Saint Maria Goretti. Her heroic martyrdom for the sake of purity, at such a young age, amazed and inspired me. From then on I’ve attempted to read every book I could that concerns chastity or purity. Another main reason I was drawn to promoting the virtue of chastity is because of experiences I had as a child in my family. My parents were divorced when I was very young and my father has never been a real part of my life. Also, when I was in junior high school, my older sister became pregnant at 16 years of age. These experiences produced in me a yearning to discover what true love really was. I could see through my mother’s broken marriage, the absence of a father in my life, and my sister’s behavior, that we were each longing for and searching for love. After watching my family suffer, and witnessing the consequences that these choices had, I resolved to seek the kind of love and happiness that only Christ could offer me. I realized that only in Christ and through the virtue of chastity could I live secure; only in Him do I find my true dignity as His daughter. As John Paul II said, “Chastity is the sure way to happiness.”

God has placed this in my heart. I know clearly that God has called me to carry out this apostolate. The Chastity Team is a means for me to live out my vocation, to promote the virtue of chastity and the real meaning of love to the youth.

What is Chastity?
According to the Catechism of the Catholic Church, chastity means “the successful integration of sexuality within the person and thus the inner unity of man in his bodily and spiritual being.” (#2337) Our sexuality is a central part of our being. Sexuality has to do with how we channel our desires. Chastity is not oppressing your sexuality. Rather, it is truly embracing your sexuality in the way God intended. “Chastity means having the strength to use your sexuality according to God’s plan.” (Jason Evert) Chastity is a way of life that orders our desires for the good and protects our heart, soul and body. It is recognizing that we are made “in the image and likeness of God,” and then defending that dignity.
“Chastity is a moral virtue. It is also a gift from God, a grace, a fruit of spiritual effort. The Holy Spirit enables one whom the water of Baptism has regenerated to imitate the purity of Christ.” (CCC#2345)

Could it be said that the chaste person is the one who truly loves?
The pleasure-seeker focuses on what particular aspects they can take from another, while the chaste person embraces every aspect of another. Chastity opens the heart to love more truly and authentically.

What is the Mission statement of the Chastity Team?
The Chastity Team has a triple mission. The first mission is to live out chastity in our own personal lives through the way we dress, speak, and act. The second mission is to support each other as a team, in striving towards purity of mind, body and soul. The third mission is to promote the virtue of chastity in our community, and especially the youth, through our example.
The goal of the Chastity Team is to spread to the youth the message of their beauty and dignity as Sons and Daughters of God, and the importance of chastity in protecting that beauty.

How many students are on the team?
Since the Chastity Team was formed two years ago, we have had on average anywhere from 20-50 students participating on the team.

Why do they enter?
There are many reasons why students choose to become part of the Chastity Team. The most common reason is because they feel God calling them to help with this particular apostolate. The majority of students have a desire to promote this virtue because they see it’s necessity in today’s culture. Many students are passionate about this ministry because they want to help the youth by sharing their own personal battles with purity. Another motive which drives students to become a member of the Chastity Team is because they want to learn why it’s important and the reasons behind why our faith teaches this virtue. Nearly all of the students have a strong desire to grow in the virtue of chastity and they see the Chastity Team as a support system and a means of cultivating that virtue.

What is required of the students who wish to be part of the chastity team?
There are several activities to participate in when part of the Chastity Team. We have bi-weekly meetings which include our official Chastity Team prayer to Our Lady, discussing business, testimonies, skits, and a quote or reflection that is based on our theme for the week. Every Monday night we have a Holy Hour before the Blessed Sacrament in the Chapel to pray for the virtue of chastity in our own lives, on our campus, and for the whole world. Every Thursday afternoon we pray the Rosary and the Divine Mercy Chaplet in front of Planned Parenthood during their “Teen Clinic” in which they offer teen girls and boys free contraceptives and teach them about “Sex Education”. Every Friday night the men on the Chastity Team pray the Rosary and the Divine Mercy Chaplet in front of the Adult Video/Book Stores to pray for an end to pornography. We also host social events with a spiritual element throughout the year such as Lectures, Movie Nights, and Coffee Nights. We are hoping to soon begin putting on retreats for the high school students in our community.
In February we host “Love Week,” which takes place during the nine days leading up to Valentine’s Day. The idea of “Love Week” is to take the focus away from the world’s misguided view of love and to focus it on the truth: that Christ is the ultimate source of love and His crucifixion is the ultimate act of love. We try to change the false perception of love through speakers, skits, videos, and a novena to the Sacred Heart of Jesus. On Valentine’s Day the women on campus offer up Mass for the men and later in the evening the men on campus lead a Eucharistic Procession for the women.
In the spring we host “IMAGE”. This is a fashion show presenting modest clothing and focusing on the real meaning of the word image. As part of this high-energy evening, we use music, drama, and short movies to help us take a deep look at the strength, beauty and dignity of the human person. The event reflects deeply upon the biblical passage in Genesis that man is made “in the image and likeness of God.”

In today’s modern world, Chastity is overlooked, and often mocked. Where do you find the strength to live out your beliefs?
I find the strength to live out my faith and the virtue of chastity through the Most Holy Eucharist. Jesus is my ultimate source of grace and strength, amidst a world that despises chastity. The Eucharist gives me the motivation to keep going even when it feels impossible, or when I feel I am the only one fighting. Everyday I am confronted with the world’s attempt to deceive me and alter my view of love, but knowing the true love of my Heavenly Father makes the lust of this world look unsatisfying and unappealing. The Eucharist, and the love which flows from it, is what truly satisfies.

What would you say are essentials for a young person to live in chastity? Why?
As Father Colum, Servant Priest of the Home of the Mother, has taught me, the “Four Non-Negotiables” are essential for striving towards holiness and the virtue of chastity. The “Four Non-Negotiables” consist of daily Mass, daily adoration, daily rosary, and frequent confession. God gave us the gift of the Sacraments to help us to live the life of holiness. Never fool yourself into thinking that you are strong enough to overcome the temptations of impurity on your own. You need the grace of Our Lord, and He is always ready and willing to assist you if you turn to Him. Look to Our Lady and St. Joseph especially as models for living out the virtue of chastity. Surround yourself with friends who are also striving for holiness and the virtue of chastity. Stay away from television programs, movies, music, and magazines that promote impurity and lust. Fill your mind, body, and soul with the things of God. Always stay close to Our Lord and Our Lady and you will find the strength you need to live the virtue of chastity amidst the pressures of today’s culture.

You have several protector Saints of the Chastity Team. Who are they? Why did you choose them?
The Chastity Team has a special devotion to Our Lady; we have consecrated it’s members and missions to her maternal care. We embrace Our Lady as our ultimate example of chastity and purity. Saint Joseph and Saint Maria Goretti are our two protector saints. We chose Saint Joseph because, as the most Chaste Spouse of Our Blessed Mother, he is a wonderful example of chastity and purity. And just as Our Lady exemplifies true femininity and motherhood, Saint Joseph exemplifies true masculinity and fatherhood. Together they give us the perfect model for a holy family. We chose Saint Maria Goretti because she is the patroness of youth and the virtue of chastity. I also chose her because of my great devotion to her. I believe that Saint Maria Goretti’s radical love for God and her unique desire for purity and innocence are greatly needed in today’s youth and society.

What would you say to young people regarding chastity?
We live in a culture today where we are constantly surrounded by sex, pornography, and immodesty. The lack of purity is destroying marriages and families, and is degrading the dignity of the human person. Most of all, it is destroying true love; love of self, love of one another, and love of God. Chastity is a call to an ordered love. We were all created by God with an innate desire to love and be loved.
The love and happiness you are seeking can only be found in God. God must be your first love and the center of your heart. Do not believe in the false promises that this world presents to you. God desires you! Do not sell yourself short of the great love that He has to give you!
For the women: “If you want a man to respect you, and perhaps eventually fall in love with you, then you must show him that you respect yourself and that you recognize your dignity before God.” (Jason Evert)
For the men: “God has assigned as a duty to every man the dignity of every woman.” (John Paul II) “The world today desperately needs men who are not afraid to be gentlemen, men who understand what it means to be a man and are willing to take up that yoke of responsibility, men who will guard a woman instead of seeking ways to empty her of her innocence.” (Jason Evert)

©HM Magazine No.134 - January/February 2007