FT. WAYNE, Ind. – Hundreds came out Saturday to watch an Indiana woman become a consecrated virgin.

Jessica Hayes, 38, wore a wedding dress for the ceremony, in which she is considered the bride and Jesus Christ is the groom.

Hayes is the first woman to become a consecrated virgin in the Fort Wayne-South Bend Catholic Diocese in the last 25 years.

The position is different from that of a nun in she is still considered a “lay” person.

There are roughly 3,000 consecrated virgins in the world and more than 200 in the United States.

See more on this story from WANE here.