Society of All Saints Sisters of the Poor
The Society of All Saints Sisters of the Poor is a religious order of sisters in the Anglican Communion, active in England and the United States of America. In 2009 many of the American sisters were received into the Roman Catholic Church.
History
Established in 1851 in the parish of All Saints, Margaret Street in London, the sisters were employed in parish work, particularly amongst the poor and underprivileged. The convent in Margaret Street still stands, and the sisters were also located in east Oxford, where they continued with similar work, particularly the care of the homeless through The Porch shelter and feeding centre.[1] In July 2014, the sisters left the All Saints Convent in Cowley, east Oxford and handed the building over to the Conventual Franciscans who made it a formation centre.[2]
Current work
In addition to The Porch, the sisters founded and continue to run Helen House, a hospice for sick and terminally ill children, Douglas House, a similar facility for young adults, and St John's Home, a nursing home for the elderly and infirm.
United States of America
An American congregation was established in Baltimore in 1872, having been invited to the United States by Joseph Richey, rector of Mount Calvary Church, and it became an autonomous province of the Society in 1890. Together with Mount Calvary Church, the sisters founded the Joseph Richey House, a hospice, in 1987[3] In 2009 the majority of the members were received into the Roman Catholic Church.[4] One sister (Sister Virginia) remains Anglican, and the sole member (in vows) of the American province of the Society. The Anglican and Roman Catholic sisters still live together in their convent in Catonsville, Maryland. The community of Roman Catholic All Saints sisters was canonically erected as a Religious Institute on 1 November 2011.
References
- ^ Susan Mumm All Saints Sisters of the Poor: An Anglican Sisterhood in the Nineteenth Century (Church of England Record Society) (Woodbridge, Suffolk: Boydell, 2001)
- ^ Greyfriars ‘truly blessed’ by warm welcome at new home from Oxford Mail, 27 August 2014, retrieved 21 February 2015
- ^ "Joseph Richey Hospice | Our neighbors need is our opportunity to serve". josephricheyhospice.org. Retrieved 2014-04-05.
- ^ All Saints’ Sisters Join Roman Catholic Church
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