
CARING FOR THE BODY, THE SOUL, & THE EARTH
The Community of St. Mary, Southern Province, is a women’s Benedictine community within the Episcopal Church that expresses its way of life through care for the body, the soul, and the earth. We seek to address the spiritual and temporal needs of our society through our life of prayer and solitude, our ministry to the poor, through spiritual direction and hospitality, the various endeavors of our Organic Prayer Program and our website, and through our work in churches-both in the USA and the Philippines. We serve as a spiritual resource for all seekers, especially those interested in Benedictine spirituality, care for creation, and concern for the poor.
Our patron, St. Mary, is the model for our “yes” to God, through which we respond to the needs of our society and practice responsible stewardship. Our convent, its gardens and grounds represent part of our contribution to the healing of the earth and its creatures. Through them and through us, we seek to offer a quiet, friendly environment where we and others may listen to God, learn from God’s Word and from creation, and put our faith into practice by promoting a healthy, balanced and compassionate lifestyle for all.
The Sisters center their lives around the worship of God by praying the Daily Offices found in the 1979 Book of Common Prayer and in the daily celebration of the Eucharist. ..
The Community of St. Mary invites young people to experience a year alongside the Community, rooted in S.O.I.L (Sacramental, Organic, Intentional Living), sharing the rhythm and routine of daily prayer...
The best vocation for any person is the one God intends for that person. Vocation to the religious life is not a “higher” calling, but it is a unique calling, one that has its own blessings and challenges...





![Did you know? The Community of St. Mary was founded on this day in 1865! Today marks our 161th anniversary. Below are some excerpts from Ten Decades of Praise: The Story of the Community of Saint Mary during Its First Century by Sister Mary Hilary, CSM.
“The service at noon had been arranged by the Bishop [Horatio Potter of New York himself]; it was he who had chosen St. Mary as their patroness and the Feast of the Purification as the day of their profession. After the Creed, a hymn was sung while the five candidates [Jane Haight, Mary Heartt, Amelia Asten, Sarah Bridge and Harriet Cannon] rose and stood before the Bishop. He addressed them briefly and questioned them regarding their willingness to live in obedience and persevere in the work of the Lord. When these questions had been satisfactorily answered, the candidates knelt. The Bishop and priests formed a circle around them and recited antiphonally the hymn Veni Creator Spiritus. Following collects and other prayers, the Bishop took each Sister by the right hand and received her for the work of God into the fellowship of the Sisterhood of Saint Mary. The Bishop then gave each Sister his episcopal blessing and resumed the celebration of the Eucharist. It is doubtful that the participants in the reception service were fully aware of its significance. Not since the dissolution of the English monasteries in the sixteenth century had an Anglican Bishop dared to stand in a parish church and officially constitute a religious community, and one, moreover, designed to be a true monastic body, not a philanthropic sorority. Once he had decided to sponsor the Sisterhood of Saint Mary, Bishop Potter never looked back.”
Photos: Sister Harriet Starr Cannon, Sister Amelia, Sister Mary, and Sister Sarah
#feastday #patronalfeast #foundingday #anniversary #episcopalnuns #episcopalreligious](https://scontent-sea5-1.cdninstagram.com/v/t39.30808-6/625001157_1229423185946641_7203173526539207516_n.jpg?stp=dst-jpg_e35_tt6&_nc_cat=103&ccb=7-5&_nc_sid=18de74&efg=eyJlZmdfdGFnIjoiQ0FST1VTRUxfSVRFTS5iZXN0X2ltYWdlX3VybGdlbi5DMyJ9&_nc_ohc=ekjzU1xsXmIQ7kNvwE8tSLX&_nc_oc=Adn3oe8UXolNoUaP4kELTH1guBuwXcEV1kWXgposElGWmnOqGAyHZXvwgXz5cF0_6t8&_nc_zt=23&_nc_ht=scontent-sea5-1.cdninstagram.com&edm=ANo9K5cEAAAA&_nc_gid=1ushvimR5ZUaPbBV1MmESQ&oh=00_AfteGoFaKi8RYivlAShFdJj9SFXxsjSmEa3dF9LMmJ0W2w&oe=69871EE4)

















































