Gulf Pine Catholic • March 13, 2026 9 228-539-9800 www.RiemannFamily.com Gulfport Pass Christian West Jackson County Biloxi Long Beach Hancock County Getting to Know the Servants in the Diocese of Biloxi who answered God’s Call to a Religious Vocation BY MONICAWALTON BILOXI -- Whatever road one takes in life, all vocations and jobs require some sort of sacrifice. God loves us and desires all to be in communion with Him, whatever we do. When we do His will and respond to His call, we will find peace and satisfaction in our work. However, it often takes diligent prayer and discernment to uncover His true plan for our lives. Katherine Lingenfelder and Chris Collins both seriously considered marriage and family life. Could they give that up and still be happy? Would their life feel complete, satisfied, and gratified without a spouse and children? While the majority of the world screams a resounding ‘No’ to those questions, Katherine and Chris have grown to discover that for them, the answer is a wholehearted ‘Yes’. Both have come to realize the beauty of offering the Lord the gift of their chastity. They are currently in formation for very different vocations, but each gives great witness to finding strength in the cross of sacrifice when following God’s call. “In my discernment, I seriously considered the beautiful vocation of marriage,” said Katherine. “I dated and could have gotten married.” Katherine had also long desired to have children, but God offered her a unique version of being a bride and mother as a Consecrated Virgin. “Jesus, the Bridegroom, has chosen me to become His Bride,” Katherine explained. “And I am not losing the ability to become a mother. Rather, my heart is expanding as a spiritual mother, beyond what I could ever understand.” Though it is not required by Canon Law, Bishop Kihneman witnessed Katherine’s temporary private vow of chastity. He will consecrate her through the Rite of Consecration later this year. “One of my prayers was that my parents would live long enough to see me make my vows,” said Katherine. “Thankfully, both of my parents were able to witness my temporary vow because my mom passed away five5 months later.” As explained on the Diocese of Biloxi Vocations website, biloxivocations.org, “Consecrated Virgins embody the image of the heavenly Bride and the life that is to come. Consecrated to God by her diocesan bishop, a consecrated virgin is mystically betrothed to Christ and dedicated to the service of the Church in her diocese.” The official title of this vocation is Consecrated Virgins Living in the World. They live and work in mainstream professions alongside other conventional workers. Katherine just so happens to work for the Church, but that is not a requirement or the standard. She currently works for the Diocese of Biloxi as the A d m i n i s t r a t i v e Assistant in the Catholic Schools Office. This summer, she will transition to the Vocations Office as an Administrative Assistant. “Once consecrated, we are no longer laity or dedicated singles, and we are not religious sisters,” Katherine clarified. “Consecrated Virgins work in regular jobs, but they also spend dedicated time with Jesus, their Bridegroom. Like clergy and religious, they are required to pray the Divine Office, joining others throughout the world every morning and evening.” She also enjoys reading, writing, watching movies, cooking, road trips, and spending time with family and friends. Katherine admits her vocation is counter-cultural and not very well known. “This has been a learning process for everyone,” she admits. “Including Bishop Kinheman, Father Braxton, our Vocation Director, the formation team, the assessment team, and me!” As Katherine grew and learned more in her formation, she could see how God had been forming her for this Vocation. One of her favorite Scriptures is Song of Songs 3:4, “I have found the one, Him whom my soul loves.” Chris was born and raised in Gulfport. Like many young boys, he dreamed of being a professional athlete someday. “I played just about every sport growing up, but soccer and baseball were my favorites,” he said. “I honestly did not consider any other careers in high school…until my junior year.” That’s when a priest Chris had never before met began visiting his theology class. “One day, he jokingly suggested that I was going to be a priest,” Chris recalls. “Although he wasn’t being serious because he didn’t really know me, it planted a seed within me. “I was at a point in my life when I was looking for a deeper purpose,” Chris explained. “I grew up Catholic and was an altar server at St. James Church, but I had never truly taken my faith seriously until high school. I had no desire to study anything in particular after high school, and I felt the priesthood might give me that sense of purpose I was looking for.” At first, he doubted and tried to push away the thought of being a priest, but it wouldn’t let go of him. “The thought kept coming back to mind,” Chris said. “And it filled me with a feeling of consolation. The more I thought about it, and the closer I grew to God, the more the desire grew within me, to the point that I could no longer deny it.” Now in his Third Configuration of Formation at Notre Dame Seminary in New Orleans, Chris said his biggest challenge so far has been coming to understand and accept the vow of celibacy. “There were a couple of years in seminary when I really struggled with the idea of sacrificing marriage,” he said. “I really wasn’t sure whether or not I wanted to give it up. But the Lord has since given me the peace and confidence to know that this is what He is calling me to.” SEE VOCATION INSPIRATIONS, PAGE 17 Katehrine Lingenfelder ~ Hearing and Answering the Call Chris Collins Every Vocation calls for some sacrifice
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