Community of St. Mary

Community of St. Mary
Name	Community of St. Mary
Established	1865

Community of St. Mary is an Anglican monastic community for women associated with the Episcopal Church and the broader Anglican Communion. Founded in the 19th century, the community became known for contemplative life, social ministries, liturgical scholarship, and missionary outreach within the United States, the Caribbean, and beyond. Its sisters engaged with institutions such as hospitals, schools, and retreat centers while participating in ecclesiastical debates involving figures like John Henry Newman, Edward Bouverie Pusey, and movements such as the Oxford Movement.

History

The origin of the community traces to the 1860s when Anglo-Catholic revivalists influenced by Edward Pusey, John Keble, and Isaac Williams sought to revive religious life similar to continental examples like Benedict of Nursia and Francis of Assisi. Early development intersected with figures in the Oxford Movement and contemporaries including Henry Wilberforce, William Palmer, and institutions like Tractarianism circles. The community established houses during the post-Civil War era alongside diocesan leaders such as Benjamin Onderdonk and William White, engaging in charitable responses to events like the American Civil War and urbanization tied to the Industrial Revolution. Missionary impulses led sisters to collaborate with organizations such as the Society for the Propagation of the Gospel, Church Mission Society, and dioceses including New York and Massachusetts.

Organization and Membership

Governance adopted monastic structures paralleling communities like the Order of St Benedict and the Community of St. John the Baptist. Leadership titles resembled those in communities connected to Anglican religious orders across provinces like the Church of England and the Episcopal Church. Members professed vows comparable to those in orders influenced by Thomas à Kempis and rules informed by medieval precedents such as the Rule of St. Benedict. The community’s constitution and canons engaged with legal frameworks present in ecclesial courts like the Court of Ecclesiastical Causes Reserved and national debates seen in assemblies such as the General Convention of the Episcopal Church. Vocational formation involved study of texts by Augustine of Hippo, Anselm of Canterbury, Richard Hooker, and modern theologians like Charles Gore, Karl Rahner, and Elizabeth A. Johnson.

Religious Life and Ministries

The sisters combined contemplative practices drawn from traditions exemplified by Cistercians, Dominicans, and Poor Clares with active ministries in institutions such as Charity Hospital (New Orleans), St. Luke's Hospital, and schools similar to Roxbury Latin School and St. Paul's School (Concord, New Hampshire). Liturgical life reflected influences from John Mason Neale, Laurence Hastings, and the Book of Common Prayer revisions debated alongside figures like Samuel Seabury and Phillip Schaff. Social ministries addressed issues explored by reformers like Dorothea Dix, Jane Addams, and organizations including the National Council of Churches, focusing on healthcare, education, and retreat ministry linked to centers like The House of the Good Shepherd and retreat traditions akin to Taizé Community and Iona Community. Sisters published devotional works and hymnody resonant with composers such as John Stainer and Ralph Vaughan Williams.

Houses and Geographic Presence

The community established priories and convents across regions including urban centers akin to New York City, Boston, and Philadelphia, as well as mission outposts in the Caribbean, Central America, and mission fields related to Anglican Missions. Houses were modeled after European foundations like Westminster Abbey and monastic complexes such as Ely Cathedral precincts; they included infirmaries, guesthouses, and chapels comparable to those at St. George's College (Jerusalem). The sisters’ work intersected with diocesan projects in places connected to bishops such as Henry C. Potter, Phillips Brooks, and Leighton Coleman.

Notable Members and Leadership

Leadership featured superiors whose ministry placed them alongside church leaders such as William Porcher DuBose, Whittington Landon, and civic allies like Eleanor Roosevelt in social projects. Several sisters engaged in ecumenical dialogues with representatives from Roman Catholic Church figures influenced by Pope Pius IX and later Pope John XXIII, and with Protestant leaders such as Martin Luther King Jr. in the context of social justice work. Prominent members contributed to theological scholarship parallel to writers like Hildegard of Bingen, Julian of Norwich, and modern spiritual writers such as Thomas Merton and Henri Nouwen.

Legacy and Influence

The community’s legacy appears in Anglican religious revival, shaping parochial and diocesan practices comparable to reforms associated with Edward King, Charles Gore, and liturgical renewal movements involving Percy Dearmer and A.R. Bailey. Its educational and healthcare initiatives influenced institutions similar to St. Mary’s Hospital, Seabury-Western Theological Seminary, and Union Theological Seminary (New York), while ecumenical engagement fed dialogues at gatherings like the World Council of Churches and commissions including the Faith and Order Commission. Architectural and artistic contributions reflected trends seen at Gothic Revival churches, collaborations with designers akin to Augustus Pugin, and stained glass commissions reminiscent of William Morris workshops. The community’s model informed later foundations such as the Society of St. Margaret, Order of the Holy Cross, and inspired vocational discernment programs within Anglican religious orders across provinces like the Episcopal Church and the Church of England.

Category:Anglican religious orders