In spite of setbacks, opposition, and declining numbers in some parts of the world, there are about a million “consecrated” men and women in the world today. There have always been men and women in the Church, who were ready to listen to the radical call of the Gospel and bring about a decisive dynamism in the Church of their times. This book is a short and straightforward history of this extraordinary phenomenon from its beginning to the present day. An important feature of this book is that it makes a special mention of the role of women and their contributions. Moreover, a brief mention of consecrated life in the Protestant and Eastern Churches and the origins of monasticism and consecrated life in India is also made. If the charismatic function of consecrated life is to remain alive in the Church today, consecrated persons must present themselves as men and women who have been freed by the power of the Gospel and have personally glimpsed meaning in the midst of a fractured world. They will be able to draw inspiration for this from the committed life of countless consecrated men and women who have rendered invaluable service to the Church and the world.