A History of the Sisterhood of the Holy Nativity

“Sheryl Kujawa-Holbrook’s history offers a detailed and captivating study of the birth, growth and ultimate completion of one expression of the ministry of vowed women in The Episcopal Church. Called to evangelism and service in urban settings and rural outposts as educators, nurses, social workers, and spiritual guides, these women were valiant in their origins and courageous to the end. I am amazed at how much they accomplished. This book honors and preserves their story.”


—Robert Leo Sevensky, OHC, archivist, Order of the Holy Cross





“Sheryl Kujawa-Holbrook firmly locates the Sisterhood of the Holy Nativity’s origins and rapid growth in the context of Anglicanism’s nineteenth-century Catholic revival. She brilliantly describes SHN’s flourishing twentieth-century ministries and relates its subsequent struggles to adapt to sweeping social and cultural upheavals amidst a decline in vocations. This meticulously researched and highly readable book will be an indispensable resource for anyone interested in the Episcopal Church’s Anglo-Catholic movement and religious orders.”


—John D. Alexander, former rector, S. Stephen’s Church





“This book, carefully chronicled and well-researched, tells the story of the origin of the SHN. For this reader, a Sister of St. Margaret, the Order from which SHN emerged, the book was thought-provoking, eliciting admiration and affection. Here is a saga of vocation, discord, reconciliation, growth, heroic mission, and accomplishment. For SHN Associates, all touched by the faithful ministry of the Sisters, supporters of Episcopal Religious Orders, and Anglo-Catholics, this book is for you.”


—Adele Marie, SSM, assistant superior, Society of St. Margaret





“Sheryl Kujawa-Holbrook’s history is a comprehensive, candid, and moving account of the Sisterhood of the Holy Nativity in the Episcopal Church. It is also a thoughtful reflection on the impact religious life has had throughout the Anglican Communion since its nineteenth-century revival, and the challenges communities of vowed celibates face as they discern their calling in the twenty-first century church.”


—David Brinton, OGS, general secretary, Conference of Anglican Religious Orders in the Americas





“A History of the Sisterhood of the Holy Nativity is a thorough and sympathetic account of a remarkable religious community. It joins a growing collection of recent histories of religious communities founded in the wake of the Oxford Movement, communities that have made a significant impact on mission broadly understood within the Anglican tradition. Sheryl Kujawa-Holbrook has done a wonderful job in the telling of their story and has filled a gap in accounts of the development of the Episcopal Church.”


—Stephen Spencer, adviser for theological education, Anglican Communion Office