Fr Alex Swain

Beloved in Christ,

Under the rule of King Henry VII in the 1530s, all Roman Catholic monasteries were dissolved in England. The development of the Anglican tradition began to seesaw between Roman Catholic and a Puritan-like Protestantism until the Elizabethan Settlement in the 1550s and 1560s. This development brought the via media or middle way of the Anglican tradition to fruition, which continues to this day, though over the proceeding centuries, things have continued to develop!

One of the earliest religious orders was that of the Society of St John the Evangelist, which has a prominent number of monks located in Cambridge, MA.

A new wave of religious orders is developing in the Episcopal Church right now, and those which are canonically recognized can be found on the website of the National Association of Episcopal Christian Communities (https://www.naecc.net/).

Broadly speaking, this is part of a broader trend referred to as New Monasticism and proves increasingly popular among younger Christians within the Episcopal church.

For many millennials and Gen-Z people, being a part of the church is a choice made in a society absolutely overflowing with choices. Deeply rooting in the faith tradition, and notably, in its praxis is increasingly important among people of these generations.

Being a part of a religious community which seeks to live out a rule of life, to live deeply into the ancient rhythms of ascetic life while stumbling through our modern age, increasingly proves attractive to people. It serves to deepen the lived experience of our faith in a daily practice.

Today we celebrate the Feast of Eva Lee Matthew, a woman who began the Community of the Transfiguration, an order which developed in Cincinnati in the late 1800s to serve the poor and especially impoverished children. The order still supports the life of the church in Ohio, California, and the Dominican Republic to this day.

As we consider ways of engaging our faith, may we consider what ministries we are being called to—just as the body of Christ is diverse, so are the needs of the world, and many of us have experiences, passions, and calls to meet those needs. May we rise to the occasion like Blessed Eva did!

May Blessed Eva Lee Matthews pray for us to the Lord our God!

Yours in Christ,

—Fr Alex