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Anglican Religious Orders

© Michael P. Spencer

My first introduction to Anglican monasticism was a retreat at a monastery in Santa Barbara, California. I was a guest of the brothers of Mt. Calvary, a monastery of the Order of the Holy Cross. This first experience in religious life had such an impact on me that I went back to the monastery on two other occasions in order to get more of that "holy feeling." With maturity I have learned that it takes years to become a spiritually centered person, but I still like trying for the "holy feeling!"

Introduced here are a men's order, the Order of the Holy Cross; a women's order, the Community of the Sisters of the Church; and an order for men and women, the Order of Julian of Norwich.

The Order of the Holy Cross is a Benedictine monastic community in the Episcopal Church, founded in 1884 by the Rev. James Otis Sergeant Huntington on the lower East Side of New York City. Since that time the Order has grown to include monasteries in West Park, New York; Santa Barbara, California; Berkeley, California; Toronto, Canada, Cape Coast, Ghana, and Grahamstown, South Africa. The principles which govern the life of the Order are found in two documents: The Rule of Fr. Huntington and the Rule of St. Benedict.

The center of the life of each monastery of the Order is the corporate praying of the Divine Office four times a day and the celebration of the Eucharist. Monks also spend time in private prayer and meditation.

The work of each house is varied depending on location and resources available to support the corporate life of the community. Brothers are encouraged to find ways to use their own unique talents and gifts, and work varies from retreat/conference centers to innercity urban ministry. Many of the monks are engaged in preaching, counseling, spiritual direction, teaching, parish work, evangelism, retreat work, ministry to alcoholics, addicts and those with AIDS.

Associated with the Order of the Holy Cross are groups of lay people and clergy who participate in varying degrees in the prayer and work of each house of the Order. The Associates of Holy Cross follow a Rule similar to that of the brothers; the Confraternity of the Christian Life follow a less rigorous rule.

The Order of Julian of Norwich is a contemplative monastic order in the Episcopal Church. The Order was founded in Norwich, Connecticut in 1982, and its motherhouse is currently located in Waukesha, Wisconsin. It is an order of both men and women who follow the spirituality of Julian of Norwich. It is contemplative in that its purpose and goal is simply the practice and teaching of silent and intercessory prayer. The

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