Community of St. Francis

Living under a Franciscan Rule, the sisters' primary vocation is prayer, study, and work in the context of community life.

The community was begun in 1905 by Sr Rosina Eleanor Rice, who left another Anglican religious order, the Society of the Sisters of Bethany, to found CSF.

After a short period in Hull, the sisters moved to Dalston in East London in 1908, where they supported themselves by working in the parish, caring for the sick and dying, and running a laundry.

There they ran a nursing home for elderly women for some years, before changing their ministry to one of hospitality.

The order is under the leadership of a Minister General, currently Sr Sue Berry CSF, who was elected in 2020.