Sisterhood of St. John the Divine

Last updated November 16, 2025

The Sisterhood of St. John the Divine is a religious community of nuns in the Anglican Church of Canada, the only Anglican religious order founded entirely within Canada.^[1]

The order was founded on 8 September 1884, the feast of the Nativity of the Blessed Virgin Mary, when Mother Hannah Grier Coome took her vows at the convent of the Community of St. Mary in Peekskill, New York, where she had undergone novitiate training.^[2] They developed ministries including a church workroom and altar bread department in Toronto; guest houses; the Church Home for the Aged (Toronto); St. John's Convalescent Hospital in Newtonbrook, Ontario; All Saints Hospital in Springhill, Nova Scotia; the Shernfold School in Ottawa; Qu'Appelle Diocesan School in Regina, Saskatchewan; St. Christopher's House (postal Sunday school); St. Michael's Mission in Montreal; St. John's House in Edmonton, Alberta; and St. John's Convent in Bracebridge, Ontario.

The sisters minister at St. John's Rehab Hospital and wear distinctive blue habits, retreat leadership, and spiritual direction services. They make altar linens to order, and founded the Altar Guild at St. Thomas Anglican Church. The Sisterhood has been active in liturgical renewal and unequivocal in its acceptance of the Book of Alternative Services .

The order's house is in Toronto (St. John's Convent and Guest House). A house in Victoria (St. John's House, BC) closed in 2020.^[3]

Bibliography

A Brief Outline of the History of the Sisterhood of Saint John the Divine 1884-1938 (1938) digitized by Richard Mammana
A Brief History of the Sisterhood of Saint John the Divine 1884-1946 (1946)

References

↑ "Christian Religious Communities". Canadian Encyclopedia. 6 February 2006. Retrieved 12 September 2025.
↑ "Biography – GRIER, SARAH HANNAH ROBERTA (Coome) – Volume XV (1921-1930) – Dictionary of Canadian Biography".
↑ "St John's House (SSJD) to close in Victoria". Anglican Diocese of British Columbia. 5 March 2020. Retrieved 12 September 2025.

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[1] "Christian Religious Communities". Canadian Encyclopedia. 6 February 2006. Retrieved 12 September 2025.

[2] "Biography – GRIER, SARAH HANNAH ROBERTA (Coome) – Volume XV (1921-1930) – Dictionary of Canadian Biography".

[3] "St John's House (SSJD) to close in Victoria". Anglican Diocese of British Columbia. 5 March 2020. Retrieved 12 September 2025.

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v t e Religious orders and communities of the Anglican Communion
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Mixed	Anglican Order of Preachers (Dominican) Community of the Glorious Ascension Community of the Holy Transfiguration Community of the Servants of the Will of God Companions of Saint Luke (OSB) Franciscan orders Mucknell Abbey Order of Christ the Saviour (OCS Dominicans) Benedictine orders Society of the Sacred Mission St Mark's Abbey
Former	Former religious orders in the Anglican Communion

Sisterhood of St. John the Divine

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