A RELIGIOUS ORDER DIFFERS from a guild or society or association because its members have taken vows. We list guilds, societies, and associations in their own section.

The Conference on Anglican Religious Orders in the Americas
A good many US and Canadian communities are represented on these overview web pages. Each order is linked to a summary page with a description and contact information.

African Sisters of St Mary (CMM) Support Group
'This new charity seeks to support the work of the Sisters of the Anglican Religious Community, Chama cha Mariamu Mtakatifu (CMM) in Tanzania and Zambia.'

Alton Abbey
A Benedictine monastery in Beech, Hampshire, England.

Anamchara Fellowship
'Founded in the tradition of the Episcopal Church, with a Celtic spirit. Anamchara fellowship has received canonical recognition by the House of Bishops' Committee on the Religious Life. We strive to be an inclusive community, welcoming men and women, clergy and lay, married, single, or partners in a committed relationship.'

The Anglican Order of Preachers (Dominicans)
A Dominican religious community in the world-wide Anglican Communion committed to Saint Dominic's vision of an apostolic order rooted in contemplation and proclamation.

Anglican Religious Communities in England
'An umbrella body for monks and nuns, brothers and sisters in the Church of England.'

Associates of the Society of St Francis
'We invite you to become an Associate of The Society of Saint Francis, an international religious community of men and women within the Anglican Communion, inspired by the 13th century mystic, Saint Francis of Assisi.'

Brotherhood of St Gregory
The Brotherhood of St Gregory was founded on Holy Cross Day 1969. Members of the Brotherhood of St Gregory work in secular jobs such as nurses, teachers, and social workers while others work for the church on the parochial, diocesan or national levels. Some work as parish administrators, musicians, liturgists, pastoral care workers, and chaplains at hospitals.

The Community of All Hallows
This women's community was founded in 1855 by Mother Lavinia Crosse. Today, the community's work is focussed on All Hallows Hospital, Ditchingham and Adele House Nursing Home, in addition to All Hallows Convent.

Community of Celebration
A religious order, located in the Diocese of Pittsburgh, whose roots reach back more than 30 years to the inner-city Church of the Redeemer in Houston, Texas. 'Membership includes men and women, married and single, adults and children, clergy and laity. The Community's mission is to proclaim the Gospel of Jesus Christ by living in community and offering ourselves in service to the Church and to the world'.

Community of Divine Love, San Gabriel, California
'An Episcopal monastery in the Benedictine tradition.'

Community of St Anselm
'the radical new monastic programme for young Christians at Lambeth Palace being launched by the Archbishop of Canterbury'.

Community of St John the Divine
Founded in 1848, living in Birmingham, UK, since 1976.

Community of the Holy Cross
Rempstone, Loughborough, England. Founded in 1857 by Elizabeth Neale, sister of John Mason Neale.

Community of the Holy Name
'An Anglican Religious Community, founded in 1865 in London. Two moves later the convent is now in Derby. There are also six other branch houses. From all houses in the Community the sisters are engaged in a variety of pastoral and evangelistic works, depending on the particular gifts of the sister concerned. At the heart of the Community's life is the Daily Office, the Eucharist and each sister's life of prayer and intercession'.

Community of the Holy Name (Australia)
'We are a community of Anglican Sisters who have been living, praying and ministering in Melbourne for more than 125 years. The purpose of the Community is to give glory to God, and to share in the ministry of God's healing and reconciling love through prayer and service.'

Community of the Holy Spirit
Founded in 1952 in New York City, CHS is 'an Episcopal monastic community for women called by God to witness to the Holy Spirit in the church and the world, and to foster and express unity in diversity in its life and work'.

Community of the Paraclete
A religious community of men and women in the Episcopal Church in the USA. In the Diocese of Olympia in Washington State.

Community of the Resurrection
In Mirfield, West Yorkshire, UK. 'Anglican monasteries for men are few in number and unfamiliar. Ours is exceptional in the British isles because of the size of its church and community buildings at Mirfield. We combine our Anglican heritage with that living monastic tradition which gives priority to daily corporate worship and also engages in a wide range of activities at home and away. People of all faiths and none will find a welcome here.'

Community of St Anna
'a non-residential community of single women who dedicate themselves in a special way. We desire to witness to the compassionate and understanding presence of God through prayerful listening and intercession for all. As an ecumenical group, we will dedicate ourselves to pray for the communities to which we belong: our parishes, families, workplaces, neighborhoods, cities, countries, and the entire world.'

Community of St John Baptist (UK)
This women's religious community, founded in 1852 by Mother Harriet Monsell and Canon T T Carter, now shares its life and work with the Community of the Companions of Jesus the Good Shephard at the common convent near Oxford.

Community of St John the Baptist
A religious order for Episcopal women.

Community of St Mary (Eastern Province)
'The five founding Sisters of the Community of St Mary were mature women of widely varying personalities and gifts, who had served in the short-lived Sisterhood of the Holy Communion at St Luke's Hospital in New York City until 1863. Bishop Horatio Potter, Sixth Bishop of New York, chose the Blessed Virgin Mary as patroness of the new Community and selected the Feast of Purification, 1865, for the service of these five sisters at St Michael's Church, Manhattan. Not since the dissolution of the English monasteries in the 16th Century had an Anglican bishop dared to stand in a parish church and officially constitute a religious community'.

Community of the St Mary the Virgin
'Our Community was founded in 1848 by William John Butler, the then Vicar of Wantage. His desire was to form a committed community of Sisters combining both a life of prayer and holiness with a concern for the social needs of the time.' Based in Wantage, Oxford, UK.

Community of Saints Barnabas and Cecilia
Located in Peterborough, South Australia in the Diocese of Willochra, this group describes itself as 'firmly grounded in our tradition and yet desiring the unity for which Christ prayed, and offering a ministry of hospitality and welcome for all Christian people.' Founded in 1997.

Community of the Gospel
'We [are] organized under the Canons of the Episcopal Church, but are open to any Christian man or woman who shares our mission. We are not an “Order” in the traditional sense, but do apply monastic principles to everyday living as we transform our lives.' Based in Wisconsin.

Community of the Sacred Name
An order of sisters in Aotearoa New Zealand, founded in 1893.  They are now in Christchurch NZ; Ashburton, NZ; Figi and Tonga.  The Sisters live under vows and in community.

Community of the Sisters of the Church
A women's religious community with houses in England, Canada, Australia and the Solomon Islands. Founded in 1870 by Mother Emily Ayckbowm.

Community of the Sisters of the Love of God
'A contemplative community of women with a strong monastic tradition, founded in 1906. Based in Oxford (UK), the order draws on Carmelite and Benedictine spiritual traditions.'

Community of Solitude
'We do not restrict admission to this community based on age, gender, clerical or marital status. If you are a baptized Christian and can honestly agree with the traditional Creeds of the Church (Apostles, Nicea and Athanasian) then you are welcome as Christ. It is our belief that if one is called to this way of life by Jesus, no one can stand in their way. And once called to this way of life by Jesus, the person cannot stay as they are; they are now on a path of irrevocable transformation.'

Community of the Transfiguration
An Episcopal Religious order for Women in the Anglican Communion. The Mother House is in Cincinnati, Ohio, USA.

The Companions of St Luke
'A contemporary expression of Benedictine life in the new millennium. It is rooted in the Rule of St. Benedict while allowing for flexibility for contemporary life. It is open to single and married men and women, lay and clergy, of the Episcopal Church and those who are in communion with Canterbury. Members have the option of living in community or apart. All members live a life under St. Benedict's threefold vows of: obedience, conversion of life, and stability. Individuals seeking a balanced Benedictine Religious experience between the traditions of the past and the needed flexibility of the future, are welcome to inquire'.

The Company of Mission Priests
'All members of the Company undertake to observe simplicity of life, to remain unmarried so long as they are members ("and in all personal relationships to exercise that care which befits priests leading dedicated lives"), to observe a personal rule based on the principles derived from St. Vincent de Paul's instructions, included in the Company's customary, and to consult the Warden and Council about changes of work.'

Delhi Brotherhood Society
'has its origin from the Cambridge Brotherhood, where as small number of English priests set out to Delhi in 1887 with the aim of promoting higher education. They set out for India from Cambridge in England under the inspiration of Bishop Brooke Foss Westcott in 1877. Since [then], they have been involved in education program, vocational programme & health care programme for the poor, marginalized and weaker section.'

Episcopal Carmel of Saint Teresa
A contemplative religious community for women in the Episcopal Church USA. 'This is the first Carmelite community in the Anglican communion. We are 4 years old and are located in the Diocese of Easton (Maryland). We have Nuns, Oblates and Associates. A guest house is available for private retreats.'

The Fellowship of St John (UK) Trust Association
'We are a Christian Charity that works in education and mission. We administer the charities historically associated with the Anglican Religious Community of the Society of St John the Evangelist – often known as the Cowley Fathers. The charities continue to honour the monks' work of missionary priesthood in a large variety of ways.'

First Order Brothers of the Society of Saint Francis in Aotearoa New Zealand
'We are involved in the contemporary world, seeking to promote unity and reconciliation and in caring for the marginalised. We are committed to the spiritual search in the Christian tradition and seek to follow the way of St Francis of Assisi in humility, love and joy.'

Franciscan Missionaries of Divine Compassion
'a community with friars (men), Sisters (women) and Secular Franciscans. Our primary mission is evangelization.'

The Franciscan Order of the Divine Compassion
A traditional, conservative, Anglo-Catholic religious order formed to preserve the historic Catholic faith as the Anglican Church received it. First Order members are Friars. Second Order Members are Poor Clares. Third Order vocations are secular in nature. Tertiaries (Third Order Members) and Non-Conventual Oblates of St Francis (members of the Order who have taken one or more of the traditional monastic vows in addition to the vows of the Third Order) do not live in monasteries. Although under vows, they pursue the 'religious life' while living in their own homes.

Friends of St Benedict
Based in Washington, DC, the 'Friends of St. Benedict carries on the work of the Canterbury Cathedral Trust in the area of Benedictine spirituality. The organization will continue to advance an understanding of the Benedictine roots of our Christian faith and support people in translating Benedictine insights and values into their daily lives. Through its programs and other resources, the Friends of St. Benedict will offer spiritual growth and formation to individuals, parishes, dioceses and other organizations'.

Hilfield Friary, Dorchester
A friary of the Anglican Community of St Francis. Hosts Hilfield Youth Camp.

House of Initia Nova
'A Benedictine community whose heart is the Divine Office and whose experience is always about new beginnings. Based in Bondville, Vermont.'

Korean Franciscan Brotherhood
A Franciscan Brothers' community in the Anglican Church of Korea.

Little Brothers of Francis
Based in the Diocese of Grafton in Australia, this is 'a community of Brothers who desire to deepen our relationship with God through prayer, manual work, community and times of being alone in our hermitages.'

Little Sisters of St Clare
'We are a dispersed community each living on our own and being materially self sufficient. We believe in face to face frequent fellowship with each other so we work in local chapters within the Diocese of Olympia (USA).'

Malling Abbey, West Malling, Kent
'We are a community of women who have been drawn to respond to God's love by living a life of prayer, work, study and hospitality based on the Rule of St. Benedict.'

Mariya uMama weThemba Monastery
Grahamstown, South Africa. This house of the US-based Order of the Holy Cross has an informative new site. 'Three guest houses sit on about 50 hectares of hillside. Paths for walking are cleared and you can meander through the beauty of the Eastern Cape. Bird life is varied and abounding.'

Melanesian Brotherhood
'The Brotherhood live as brothers to the people, respecting their traditions and customs: planting, harvesting, fishing, house building, eating and sharing with the people in all these things. Ini Kopuria (founder) believed that Solomon Islanders should be converted in a Melanesian way. Today, the work of the Brotherhood has broadened to include work and mission among both Christians and non-Christians. The Melanesian Brotherhood now has three regions: Solomon Islands, Papua New Guinea, and Vanuatu & Fiji. They have recently opened a house in Palawan, the Philippines. The Brotherhood aims to live the Gospel in a direct and simple way following Christ’s example of prayer, mission and service. The brothers take the vows of poverty, chastity and obedience, but these are not life vows but for a period of five years, which can be renewed. They train for three years as novices and make their vows as brothers at the Feast of St Simon and St Jude.'

Mucknell Abbey, Stratford upon Avon, UK
'We are a contemplative monastic community of nuns and monks living under the Rule of St Benedict and part of the Church of England. The Community was founded in 1941 to pray for Christian Unity, and it is a great joy to us that since the Covenant between the Church of England and the Methodist Church in England we now have a Methodist Presbyter as a novice of the Community.' (formerly at Burford Priory).

The Oratory of St Augustine
'an Old Catholic society of priests wthin the Episcopal Church. The Society is under the spiritual protection of The Right Rev. Rodney R. Michel, D.D., our Episcopal Visitor. Inspired by the Rule of St. Augustine of Hippo, the Oratory is dedicated to the Divine Office, the solemn celebration of the modern Divine Liturgy of the Eucharist with incense and chant, the promotion of Old Catholic theology, ecumenism and the charism of education.'

The Oratory of the Good Shepherd
An international community of Anglicans, ordained and lay, who share a common Rule of Life. The OGS Rule calls members of the Oratory to daily prayer, Communion, the labour of the mind, and the faithful stewardship of talents and resources. The comprehensive web site gives you much more information about this order, of which Alec Vidler and Eric Mascall, to take just two examples, have both been a part.

The Order of Mission, Sheffield, England
Established in 2003 by the Archbishop of York. Members of the Order are working in partnership with a variety of churches and denominations around the world, to raise up, equip and support missional leaders who will pioneer new expressions of church for our day and in our cultures.

The Order of St Andrew
The OSA is an ecumenical religious order of men and women, both single and married, not living in community, dedicated to the spread of the Good News of Christ. It is open to membership from any communicant in good standing of any Church in Apostolic Succession. It is an Order that supports traditional Anglican beliefs whose corporate worship (at Chapter and Retreat) is based on the 1928 BCP.

Order of St Anne (Arlington)
'We are a small, multi-cultural community of women, committed to witnessing to the truth that as 21st century Christians, we belong to this age, this society; and that it is here and now that we demonstrate to the Church and the world that the religious life lived in community is relevant, fulfilling and needed in our world and times.' Founded in 1910.

The Order of St Anne, Chicago
'We are a traditional order of Anglican nuns in the Episcopal Church. Since 1921, we have been an active presence in the heart of the city of Chicago. Currently we are called to parish work at the Episcopal Church of the Ascension, and active ministry to the local community.'

The Order of St Anthony the Great
'The intent of this order is to foster a contemplative spiritual life within the laity and clergy of the Church. We are a Religious Order open to men and women, single and coupled. We are a part of the Episcopal Diocese of Atlanta and under the supervision of the Rt. Rev. J. Neil Alexander, Bishop of Atlanta.'

Order of St Augustine of Canterbury
'The purpose of the Order then is to strengthen the Church by first giving ourselves to God, and then to give prayerful support, encouragement, and assistance to other members of the Order and others not of the Order so that they, like Saint Augustine of Canterbury, may also spread and consolidate the faith.' Links to biography of Saint Augustine and related links.

The Order of St Benedict
The Anglican Benedictines section of their web site is kept nicely up to date.

The Order of St Francis, Seattle
'Rather than a communal monastic order, OSF members live independently in different parts of the country, with ministry based on the needs of the local community. Members are baptized men who have been confirmed within the Anglican Communion who voluntarily commit to live by a set of professed vows for a term of years or for life.'

Order of St Vincent
'World-wide fellowship of lay ministers associated with liturgy and sanctuary service in the western branches of the One, Holy, Catholic, and Apostolic Church. Men, women, boys and girls dedicated to servanthood, discipline, co-operation, education and the preservation of liturgical knowledge, preparation for service, responsibility and reverence. Members follow a rule of life that includes daily prayer, reading of Scripture, and regular participation and reception of the sacraments.'

Religious of Orthodox Tradition
'Professed Religious from the worldwide Anglican Communion, who adhere to the vision and faith of the first apostles and the Undivided Church of the first thousand years and to the great Tradition of the Holy Spirit, leading and guiding the Church in every age. We are pledged to remain faithful to the truth of this Tradition in the contemporary Church where human differing viewpoints are often at work. We believe that opinions on those matters that necessitate a decision in communion with the universal Church, require of us patience and forbearance rather than hasty and impetuous action that further divides the Church.'

Rivendell Community
'a canonically-recognized Christian Community of the Episcopal Church [USA], includes residential and nonresidential members, men and women, single, married and partnered, lay and ordained. The Motherhouse in southwest Missouri offers hospitality and accommodations for individual and group retreats, with several themed retreats each year.'

St Saviour's Priory, Society of St Margaret
'St Saviour's Priory is an Anglican community of lay and ordained women exploring contemporary ways of living the religious life.' The Society of St Margaret was founded in 1855 by John Mason Neale.

St Michael's Priory, Willen, Milton Keynes, UK
a house of the Society of the Sacred Mission

Shin'ai Shujo Kai (The Order of the Grace of God)
Wakayama, Japan (In Japanese only.)

Sisters of Jesus' Way
An Evangelical Anglican community of Sisters in the Diocese of Chester (UK), founded in 1979. Guest house ministries include retreats and support groups.

Sisters of Saint Gregory
'a canonically-recognized community of women in the Episcopal Church who have been called by God to live the vowed life together, though dispersed, in a diversity of styles and spiritualities in the world.'

Sisters of the Grace of God
This Japanese Anglican women's religious order is headquartered in Wakayama Prefecture.

Society of Lazarus the Poor
'a religious society named for the poor man found in the Gospel of Luke. Originally established as a Prayer/Support Group, the group started to make a deliberate transition from 'group' to 'society' in late 2013. The group now exists as a dispersed Society with its members coming from all parts of the church.'

Society of Our Lady of the Isles, Fetlar, Shetland Isles
'a religious community of the Scottish Episcopal Church. Prayer is at the heart of the community's existence and its rule is partly Franciscan, partly Celtic and partly Cistercian, enabling a life of solitude within a community.'

Society of St Anna the Prophet
'We are a dispersed community of Episcopal women over 50 years old who are living the Christian life within vows of simplicity, creativity, and balance. In the Diocese of Atlanta, USA.'

Society of St Francis
A religious order within the Anglican Communion, at this link you can learn about the Order worldwide, including the Community of St Francis (sisters), the Poor Clares (sisters) and the Third Order (see below for more about the Third Order).

Society of St John the Evangelist (UK)
The fellowship of an Anglican order founded in 1866 at Cowley in Oxford.

Society of St Margaret
The Society of St Margaret is an Episcopal religious community of women seeking to find Jesus present in worship, in the common life, and ministries which concentrate on responding to the needs of the times.

Society of St Margaret in Sri Lanka

Society of St Michael
'a fraternity of Anglican clergy, organized as a society of apostolic life. The SSM's special charism is dedication to the Catholic faith and practice in its Anglican tradition. The SSM exists for mutual support, encouragement, and fellowship, and witnesses to Anglican tradition in its Catholic fullness.'

Society of the Holy Cross (Seoul, Korea)
Augustinian/Benedictine religious order for women founded in 1925. Also ministers at St Anna's Convalescent Home in Inchon and St Bona's House in Chungbuk.

Society of the Precious Blood, Burnham Abbey
'We are a contemplative Augustinian community [of women] and our principal work is worship, thanksgiving and intercession.' Founded in 1905, at Burnham Abbey since 1916.