An Indiana schoolteacher married Jesus Christ at the Cathedral of Immaculate Conception in Fort Wayne last weekend.
Jessica Hayes, a 38-year-old theology teacher, vowed to become a consecrated virgin at the ceremony, according to The New York Daily News. She stood at the altar, where she was given a ring and a book of daily prayers as she vowed a life of virginity.
"I've been praying about it for years, trying to seek God's will for my life and not really finding it in any of the paths that I sought before," Hayes said.
As a consecrated virgin, Hayes will be able to teach and serve God in the public as opposed to in a convent with nuns.
WANE, a local Fort Wayne news channel, reported that there are more than 200 consecrated virgins in the United States and about 3,000 worldwide. Hayes is the first consecrated virgin in the Fort Wayne diocese in 25 years.
"My students asked if they should call me Mrs. Hayes when I come back to school next week, and no, I'm still Miss," Hayes explained. "But I am married to Jesus."
Screenshot via WANE NewsChannel 15's YouTube video