A nun is a member of a religious community of women, typically living under vows of poverty, chastity, and obedience in the enclosure of a monastery. Communities of nuns exist in numerous religious traditions, including Buddhism, Christianity, Hinduism, Jainism, and Taoism.
A religious order is a lineage of communities and organizations of people who live in some way set apart from society in accordance with their specific religious devotion, usually characterized by the principles of its founder's religious practice. The order is composed of laypeople and, in some orders, clergy. Religious orders exist in many of the world's religions.
The Society of the Holy Cross (SHC) is an order of women religious in the Anglican Church of Korea. It is not to be confused with the Society of the Holy Cross, SSC, which is an international order of Anglo-Catholic priests within the Anglican tradition.
The Society of Saint Francis (SSF) is a Franciscan religious order within the Anglican Communion. It is the main recognised Anglican Franciscan order, but there are also other Franciscan orders in the Anglican Communion.
The Brotherhood of Saint Gregory is a community of friars within the Anglican Communion. The community's members, known as Gregorians, include clergy and laymen. Since 1987 there has also been a parallel order of sisters, the Sisters of Saint Gregory.
There are a number of Benedictine Anglican religious orders, some of them using the name Order of St. Benedict (OSB). Just like their Roman Catholic counterparts, each abbey / priory / convent is independent of each other. The vows are not made to an order, but to a local incarnation of the order, hence each individual order is free to develop its own character and charism, yet each under a common rule of life after the precepts of St. Benedict. Most of the communities include a confraternity of oblates. The order consists of a number of independent communities:
The Sisters of Charity (SC) is an Anglican religious order following the Rule of St. Vincent de Paul, and so committed to the service of those in need. The Order was founded in 1869. From their mission house in Plymouth, England, the sisters are involved in parish and mission work. The community also maintains a nursing home near Plymouth. The order maintains a confraternity of oblates.
The Community of the Companions of Jesus the Good Shepherd (CJGS) is an Anglican religious order founded in 1920, part of the Church of England. It is currently based near Kidlington, Oxfordshire.
The Community of St. Andrew (CSA) is an Anglican religious order of professed sisters in holy orders or who otherwise serve in diaconal ministry. The community was founded in 1861 by Elizabeth Ferard, with the encouragement of Bishop Tait of London. It is based in London, England, in the Diocese of London of the Church of England.
The Community of St. Clare (OSC) is a Franciscan Anglican religious order of nuns, and part of the wider Franciscan movement within the Anglican Communion. The community, founded in 1950 and based at Freeland near Witney, Oxfordshire, England, is one of several associated with the Society of Saint Francis. It forms the 'Second Order' of the Anglican Franciscan movement, commonly known as the 'Poor Clares'. The community, in common with other Second Order Franciscan communities, is an enclosed and contemplative one, and the sisters provide for their own needs through a variety of activities. The sisters believe that their 'enclosed' life does not mean being 'shut in', but rather an opportunity to live and work together on one site in real community. The community runs a guest house and retreat centre, and the sisters engage in various works including sewing, painting, printing, and manufacturing altar breads.
The Community of St. Denys (CSD) is an Anglican religious order of nuns founded in 1879, under the jurisdiction of the Diocese of Salisbury of the Church of England. The community was originally established to engage in domestic and foreign missionary work, but is now engaged in adult education, parish ministry, spiritual guidance, and leading retreats. There was a retreat house located in Warminster which closed in May 2014, and sisters also reside in Salisbury. Until 1973 a satellite community of three sisters worked in the parish of Chiswick occupying a small cottage opposite St. Nicholas Church which is still named St Denys' House.
The Community of St. Francis (CSF) is a Franciscan Anglican religious order of sisters founded in 1905, and is the oldest surviving Anglican Franciscan religious community. As First Order sisters, the CSF is an autonomous part of the Society of St. Francis, which also includes the Order of St. Clare, and a Third Order of secular members living as a dispersed community. Living under a Franciscan Rule, the sisters' primary vocation is prayer, study, and work in the context of community life. Some sisters serve as priests, and others live a solitary life.
The Community of St. Laurence (CSL) is an Anglican religious order of nuns. Established in 1874, the order's house is located in Southwell, Nottinghamshire, England. The community was originally established to provide pastoral care, but now focuses more on retreat work and assisting at the cathedral of the Diocese of Southwell.
The Community of the Resurrection (CR) is an Anglican religious community for men in England. It is based in Mirfield, West Yorkshire, and has 17 members as of July 2016. The community reflects Anglicanism in its broad nature and is strongly engaged in the life of the Anglican Communion. It also has a long tradition of ecumenical outlook and practice.
The Community of the Sisters of the Church is a religious order of women in various Anglican provinces who live the vowed life of poverty, chastity and obedience. In 2012 the order had 105 sisters living in community, together with an extensive network of associates.
The Society of the Sacred Advent is an Anglican religious order founded at Brisbane, Queensland, Australia, in 1892 by Caroline Amy Balguy (1833-1915), and still active in that city.
The Society of the Precious Blood is an Anglican religious order of contemplative sisters with convents in England, Lesotho and South Africa. The sisters follow the Rule of St Augustine.
This article is about the Anglican women's community in Europe and Africa. There is another Anglican women's community of the same name in Australia.
Former religious orders in the churches of the Anglican Communion are those communities of monks, nuns, friars, or sisters, having a common life and rule under vows, whose work has ended and whose community has been disbanded. In a very few cases this is due to the termination of the work for which the community was established, but in most cases it is due to amalgamation or the death of the final remaining member of the community.
