The Community
Standing (left to right): Sisters Elizabeth, Anne, Rhonda, Debra, Dorothy, Wilma, Jean, Sarah Jean, Brenda, Jocelyn, Constance Joanna, Helen Claire and Margaret Ruth
Sitting on chairs: Sisters Patricia, Margaret Mary, Joyce, Merle, Doreen, Beryl and Jessica
Front row: Sisters Sue, Louise, Amy, Elizabeth Ann and Susanne.
Not in photo: Sisters Constance and Anitra.
Photo by Susan Murphy, AlongsiderThe Sisterhood of St. John the Divine is a contemporary expression of the religious life for women
within the Anglican Church of Canada. Nurtured by our founding vision of prayer, community and ministry,
we are open and responsive to the needs of the church and the contemporary world,
continually seeking the guidance of the Holy Spirit in our life and ministry.
Requiem Eucharist
The Sisters of St. John the Divine St. John’s Convent Toronto, Ontario request your prayers of thanksgiving for the life of Sister Joyce Bodley, SSJD, who died on March 22, 2013 at the age of 90 years, in the 65th year of her religious profession. Requiem Eucharist Wednesday, 27 March, 2013 at 11:00 am at St. John’s Convent. "Glory to God, whose power working in us can do infinitely more than we can ask or imagine."
The Community
The Sisterhood of St. John the Divine is a contemporary expression of the religious life for women within the Anglican Church of Canada. We were founded in Toronto on September 8th, 1884. We are a prayer- and gospel-centred monastic community, bound together by the call to live out our baptismal covenant through the vows of poverty, chastity, and obedience.
What makes us monastic?
One aspect is the importance of prayer in our lives and the emphasis on working towards a balance of life of prayer, work and rest. We have 2 hours set aside daily for private prayer – meditation, reading and praying with the holy scriptures, and reading other spiritual books to deepen our union with God. We have another 2 or more hours of daily prayer together in our Chapel. We are monastic because we hold all things in common as witnessed in our vow of poverty. We live intentionally in community and are committed to stability in our lives and relationships as witnessed through our vow of chastity. And we follow a Rule of Life, a way of living that depends upon our listening for God in our lives as witnessed through our vow of obedience.
Living as we do in a time of unprecedented change, we find that these vows anchor us in the life of Jesus and in the transforming experience of the Gospel. Nurtured by our founding vision of prayer, community and service, we are open and responsive to the needs of the church and the contemporary world, continually seeking the guidance of the Holy Spirit in our life and ministry.
Called to be a sign of Christ, the Sisterhood witnesses to the power of his reconciling and forgiving love through the gospel imperatives of prayer, spiritual guidance, justice, peace, care for creation, hospitality, ministering to those in need, and promoting unity, healing, and wholeness.
Currently we minister in the following areas:
- Our Convent and St. John’s House in Victoria, BC are centres of spirituality, prayer, worship, and music. There are also services held for patients and others in the chapel in the Rehab. Prayer is our first work.
- We provide outreach to others: preaching, teaching, retreats and missions: preaching the gospel of Jesus Christ. Our Guest House ministry enables many to come to us to have times of retreat and renewal in their lives. We offer many programs to feed the spiritually hungry in heart, mind and body. [See Food for the Soul webpage here »]. Other outreach ministries include a music ministry at St. Simon the Apostle church in the St. Jamestown area of Toronto; working with CARTS in downtown Victoria with street people; visiting sick and shut-ins around the city; hand-stitched altar linens which are sold across Canada and the States; and our intercessory prayer, to name a few of the areas where we provide outreach to others.
- We have ministries of pastoral and spiritual care: Sisters work at St. John’s Rehab [webpage »]; we have regular healing services in all our chapels; we offer a ministry of spiritual direction and pastoral conversations with those who come to us.
- We are involved in education and life-long learning. Informed Christians have discerning hearts. It is said that if you want to know what is going on in the world, be present at one of the Sisters’ services in chapel where we are praying and you’ll hear the concerns of the world. Through the programs we offer to others, we teach others about discernment, prayer and spirituality. Our libraries are resources for Sisters and our Guests. One sister teaches at Wycliffe College at UofT and so we are able to reach out to students. Another sister mentors the Education for Ministry [EFM »] program at the Convent and leads an ecumenical bible study.
- Our Community life is essential to enable us to minister to others. When we have a strong community life, a place where new members are formed and where the infirm members can be cared for after having cared for others so lovingly all their lives, when this life is strong, we can care for many others. We have a large body of Associates and Oblates, over 900, who have formalized a spiritual connection with our community, most come from across Canada, but others are from the States, and across the world.
- Stewardship of resources is a strong value of the Sisterhood. It is through our own stewardship of resources that we model the gospel values of Simplicity, Integrity, Compassionate Love and Owning no private property but holding all things in common. We look for ways we can tread more gently on the earth through reusing, recycling, and reducing waste and use of fossil fuels. Our corps of Volunteers help through their time and talent to forward the mission and ministries of the Sisterhood.
The Sisterhood of St. John the Divine
Through our prayer and spirituality, outreach to others, pastoral and spiritual care, community life and stewardship we are celebrating 125 years of Prayer, Love and Service. We invite you to join us as a Guest, as a Volunteer, to inquire about our Associate program, or for those women who qualify, to join us as a Sister of St. John the Divine. Join with us!
