May the Lord give you peace!

The Society of St Francis is an international religious community, within the Anglican communion, with members in many parts of the world. We seek to follow Christ in the way of St Francis of Assisi and St Clare of Assisi.

The Society

There are three different paths, or 'Orders' within the Society, paths which were founded by Francis himself in the thirteenth century, although our particular expression of the Franciscan life within the Anglican Communion goes back only to the early twentieth century.

The First Order consists of brothers (Society of St Francis - SSF) and sisters (Community of St Francis - CSF) who make vows of poverty, chastity and obedience, live together in community, pray together, and undertake active work of many kinds. There are SSF brothers in Australia, Papua New Guinea, Solomon Islands, South Korea, the UK, and the USA; and CSF sisters in the UK, the USA, and South Korea.

The Second Order (Community of St Clare - OSC) consists of sisters who make the same vows of poverty, chastity and obedience, and live together in community, but whose work is focussed on prayer and contemplation, and on work within the convent. OSC sisters live in Oxfordshire, England.

The Third Order consists of women and men who commit themselves to live out their Franciscan vocation in the world. Their profession vow is fleshed out in an individual Rule of Life, to which they make an annual commitment. They live in their own homes, may be married or single, and continue to support themselves financially, while meeting regularly for mutual support in local groups.

In addition to these three Orders we are supported by many people, who often belong to groups known as Companions. Their form of membership and level of commitment varies country by country. 

Our Locations

We may be closer than you think. Click on the country in the "Where We Are" menu to see!