Eva Lee Matthews (1862-1928) was an Episcopal nun best known for founding the Community of the Transfiguration.

Early life

Eva Lee Matthews was born on September 9, 1862, in

Glendale, Ohio Glendale is a village (United States)#Ohio, village in Hamilton County, Ohio, Hamilton County, Ohio, United States. The population was 2,298 at the 2020 United States census, 2020 census. It is a northern suburb of Cincinnati, and is the site of t ...

. Her father,

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, was a Union officer in the

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and later became a

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justice. He was elected to the U.S. Senate and the family moved to Washington, D.C., where Eva Lee Matthews attended

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. As an adult, Eva traveled to Palestine. The book "A Little Pilgrimage to Holy Places" is an account of her travels. She also went to England, where she spent several months visiting various religious communities, including the Sisters of the Holy Paraclete in Whitby. Inspired by the work of these religious orders and others she visited in the United States, Matthews developed a desire to establish a similar community in her home country.

Community of the Transfiguration

In 1898, Eva Lee Matthews, along with a small group of women, founded the Community of the Transfiguration, an Episcopal religious order for women in Glendale. The community was dedicated to serving the needs of the church and the wider community through prayer, worship, and social outreach. The sisters of the community took vows of poverty, chastity, and obedience, and they lived a life of simplicity and service. At this time, she began to use the name Sister Eva Mary. Under Eva's leadership, the Community of the Transfiguration grew and expanded its outreach efforts. The sisters established schools, orphanages, and hospitals, providing essential services and support to those in need. One of their most notable achievements was the founding of the Bethany School, a boarding school for girls that provided a high-quality education to underprivileged children. In addition to their work in the United States, the Community of the Transfiguration became the first Episcopal community to send missionaries overseas, creating a religious house in Wuhu, China. She remained head of the community until her death in 1928.

Legacy

The Episcopal Church honors her with a feast day on its church calendar on July 6.

References

{{DEFAULTSORT:Matthews, Eva Lee 1862 births 1928 deaths 20th-century American Episcopalians 20th-century American women writers American saints Anglican writers Anglican saints