Anne Ayres (January 3, 1816 – February 9, 1896) was a nun and the founder of the first Episcopalian religious order for women.
In the summer of 1845, Ayres heard a speech by Episcopal clergyman William Augustus Muhlenberg and decided to follow a religious life.
They formed the Sisterhood of the Holy Communion (with Ayres as First Sister, having taken religious vows in a private ceremony before Muhlenberg on All Saints Day, 1845).
In 1870, Ayres also helped Muhlenberg found St. Johnland, a deliberately Christian community built on 500 acres of woodland and fields near Kings Park, Suffolk County on the northern part of Long Island[5] This was designed to provide a haven for needy families from the city, as well as a refuge for the aged, handicapped children and urban youth.
The St. Johnland community they founded continues to this day, under the guidance of a board of directors, although since the 1950s it has concentrated on providing care for the elderly, and it has recently partnered with a real estate developer.