Our Ministries

Having told us that our first work is the call to personal holiness and union with God, Mother Emily said that we are a Community which combines the life of prayer with active and demanding work for others.

Joy comes to us in our being open to a costly yet fulfilling way of serving through our work, whatever it may be, by which we not only give glory to, but are co-workers with God.

                                                               from the Rule (1999)  

Hospitality

1. Hospitality is an important part of our Community's ministry and takes different forms in each of our houses: befriending people who come to the Sisters’ door, offering a place ‘away from the hustle and bustle’ to rest, think, pray... companionship, friendship... being active in our local communities...
   

Listening Ministries

1. Sisters engage in a wide variety of listening ministries, both formally and informally.
   

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3. A number of sisters offer Spiritual Direction.  In the UK there is also a sister available for professional Counselling and Psychotherapy (by appointment).
   

Retreats and Quiet Days

1. Retreats and Quiet Days are essential to our life as a Community.  Since we value these times of prayer and reflection so highly, wherever possible, Sisters also lead Quiet Days for groups or individuals, and offer accompaniment to those in private retreat.
   

Local Parishes

1. We maintain a close and friendly relationship with our local parishes. Work undertaken by Sisters in nearby churches includes preaching, leading quiet days, offering seminars, facilitating courses and offering a listening ear to clergy and parishioners.
   

2. In our larger houses our cycle of worship and daily living is much enhanced by local church groups coming to us for quiet days and sometimes sharing in our services, by local priests celebrating at our Eucharist, by members of local churches working for us on a voluntary basis and joining in our programme events. 
   

3. The relationship between our Community houses and local parishes is enriching and life-giving.
   

Justice and Peace

1. As part of our engagement with the world in which we live, we try to maintain an informed engagement with issues of justice and peace.
   

2. In our Bristol house that engagement is a very direct one: working alongside and befriending those who are living at the margins of society.
   

3. At St. Michael’s Convent we maintain a justice & peace desk which reflects our commitment to a number of agencies working for justice & peace. Our engagement with issues of justice & peace includes lobbying our local MP, writing letters of protests to corporations and seeking information and comment from government departments such as the Home and Foreign Office.
   

4. Often our Newsletter will reflect current themes relating to justice and peace and the environment.
   

5. Sisters in the Solomon Islands have also been entrusted with major roles in maintaining peace between warring factions in their country.
   

Community Writings

1. Our Blog
   

2. Our Newsletter
   

3. Our Poetry and Prayers
   

4. Our Homilies
   

5. Our Books
   

6. Colourful Advent
   

7. Colourful Lent
   

8. Colourful Prayer
   

9. Now is the Time
   

10. A Short History of the Community.  For more information or to order a copy, please click here.
    

11. Little Book of Wisdom (pdf download)
    

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13. Adobe Reader may be required.
    

14. File size 528kb.
    

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16. The Little Book of Wisdom is provided for personal use only.  For any other use, please contact us for permission by clicking here.  Copyright is held by the Community of the Sisters of the Church, with all rights reserved.
    

To contact us for further information, please click here.