Community of St. Mary

The Community of St. Mary is an Episcopal sisterhood founded in 1865 in Peekskill, New York, by Harriet Starr Cannon. It was the first women's monastic order constituted by an Anglican bishop. The community focuses on child health and welfare and combines a life of prayer with active service, such as teaching and nursing. The revival of Anglican religious communities in the 19th century was largely influenced by the Oxford Movement, which emphasized Anglicanism's Catholic heritage. The Community of St. Mary, though initially met with suspicion due to its Roman Catholic-like rule, established successful schools and missions.12