Religious Communities Serving East Anglia

Published by Charlie Bohan-Hurst on August 21, 2026

In his series about the religious congregations living and working in the Diocese of East Anglia, Fr Karol Porczak MS, Vicar for Religious, introduces two more communities: the Daughters of Mary Mother of Mercy in King’s Lynn and the Clerics Regular Minor in Cambridge.

The Congregation of the Daughters of Mary Mother of Mercy (DMMM) was founded in 1961 in Nigeria by the late Rt Rev Anthony Gogo Nwedo C.S.Sp. It is an institute of apostolic religious life whose members take the three public vows of obedience, poverty and chastity. The congregation is of Pontifical Right.

The primary purpose of the congregation is to bear witness to the mercy of God by following in the footsteps of Christ, the merciful Saviour, and Holy Mary of Nazareth, our Mother of Mercy. This mercy is expressed through compassion, forgiveness and kindness.

The charism of the congregation is charity, humility, prayer, penance and abandonment to the will of God. These are the five foundations upon which the institute is built. The sisters strive to live an inner life of grace, a life of self-sanctification in love and humility; and, following the example of the Blessed Virgin Mary, a life of love and atonement in order to console the suffering Saviour, make reparation for offences committed against the Heavenly Father, and delight His paternal heart, thus obtaining grace from God for the conversion and salvation of sinners.

The institute is a spiritual powerhouse, making its entire existence one of prayer through attentive listening to and communion with God. The sisters seek to sanctify themselves through an assiduous prayer life in order to sanctify others.

The apostolate of the institute includes caring for the poor and needy, orphans and the elderly, teaching in schools and universities, working in hospitals and parishes, and social work.

The sisters serve in a number of countries, including Cameroon, Ghana, Lesotho, Austria, Belgium, Germany, Ireland, Italy, Sweden, Canada, the United States and England.

The DMMM Congregation came to Manchester on 7 October 1986 at the invitation of the late Bishop Grey to undertake missionary work in the Diocese of Shrewsbury. Today, there are eight communities in England: Edgware, Walthamstow, two communities in the Walthamstow area, Manor Park, Slough, Liverpool and Leeds.

The sisters came to the Roman Catholic Diocese of East Anglia on 5 June 2025 at the invitation of Bishop Peter Collins.

At present, two DMMM sisters serve in the Catholic Parish of Our Lady of the Annunciation, King’s Lynn: Sr Cecilia Anulichukwu Njoku DMMM, Parish Sister, and Sr Mary Jane Gratia Iwuamadi DMMM, who works at St Martha’s Primary School, King’s Lynn. They hope to welcome more sisters from their congregation in the near future.

The Clerics Regular Minor (CRM), also known as the Adorno Fathers, were founded in Naples, Italy, in 1588 by St Francesco Caracciolo, Venerable Augustine Adorno and Fr Fabrizio Caracciolo. The founders were inspired by a deep desire to renew the life of the Church through prayer, humility and dedicated service. During a retreat at the Camaldolese Hermitage in Naples, they drafted the constitutions of the new congregation and entrusted its future to God’s providence.

On 1 July 1588, Pope Sixtus V officially approved the order and gave it the title “Minor”, highlighting the spirit of humility the founders wished to cultivate. In addition to the traditional vows of poverty, chastity and obedience, they introduced a unique fourth vow: not to seek ecclesiastical dignities or honours. Through this commitment, the members strive to remain faithful servants of Christ, seeking not positions of prominence but opportunities to serve God’s people with simplicity and generosity.

On 9 April 1589, the founders professed their vows and consecrated themselves entirely to the service of the Risen Lord. This event continues to shape the identity of the congregation today and is reflected in its coat of arms, which depicts the Risen Christ at its centre (inset in the picture).

The letters AMRG, found beneath the emblem, stand for Ad Majorem Resurgentis Gloriam (“For the Greater Glory of the Risen Christ”). This motto expresses the purpose of their life and ministry. Everything they do is directed towards glorifying the Risen Christ and making His presence known in the world.

At the heart of their spirituality is the Holy Eucharist. From the beginning, the founders promoted perpetual Eucharistic adoration, with devotion to the Blessed Sacrament as the source and centre of their common life. Through prayer before the Eucharistic Lord, they seek to deepen their relationship with Christ and draw strength for apostolic ministry.

Their charism rests upon three fundamental pillars. The first is Eucharistic Adoration, which nourishes their spiritual life and sustains their mission. The second is humility, expressed through simplicity of life and a commitment not to seek honours or positions of authority. The third is active ministry, through which the members respond generously to the pastoral needs of the Church by serving in parish ministry, missionary activity, education, chaplaincy, and work among the poor and those on the margins of society.

Over the centuries, the order has spread beyond Italy and now serves in many parts of the world, including the United States, Germany, France, the United Kingdom, India, the Philippines, Kenya, Tanzania and the Democratic Republic of the Congo. Despite their diverse cultures and ministries, the members remain united as one religious family, sharing a common life rooted in prayer, fraternity and service.

Their community life is not simply living together under one roof; it is a journey towards holiness. The constitutions remind them that “common is God, common the commitment to perfection, common the difficulties, common the work, common the salvation, and common at the end will be the glory”. They strive to support one another as brothers, sharing the joys and challenges of everyday life while growing together in faith.

The Right Reverend Bishop Peter Collins, Bishop of East Anglia, invited the order to serve in the diocese. The first priest arrived on 16 October 2024, followed by three more confreres. They were warmly welcomed into the diocesan family and entrusted with the pastoral care of St Laurence’s Parish, Cambridge, which has now become a community of the Santhom Indian Delegation of the Clerics Regular Minor.

The Superior General, Fr Theodoro Kalaw CRM, together with all the members of the order, remains deeply grateful to Bishop Peter Collins for his trust, encouragement and generous welcome. His support has enabled the new religious community to begin its ministry in East Anglia with confidence and hope.

At present, four priests of the Clerics Regular Minor serve the faithful in the diocese: