The origins of the Canons Regular of the Immaculate Conception in England actually can be traced back to the time of Dom Adrien Gréa, our Founder, when Fr. Joseph Cottet, C.R.I.C. who was working in Scotland (Dumfries) at that time. Much later, Fr. Marquis, a professor of literature in Avignon, who wanted to learn English, went to England where he came to know the Burgess family.

     With great eloquence he expessed the ideal of the Canons Regular of the Immaculate Conception to Mr. Burgess, who was the president of an oil refinery near the mouth of the river Sifts. One of his sons, Francis Burgess, was attracted to the ideal of the Canons Regular and was accepted to go to Rome. In 1924 Francis began his novitiate, together with Jean Rigaud, under the direction of Fr. Paul Royon, C.R.I.C.. This took place at our actual Mother House (Casa Generalizia) on Via Federico Torre, which was built in 1922.

     Frances Burgess was from a family of wealth, but he nevertheless adapted well to the discipline of community life, even though food was not plentiful at that time. Fr. Francis Burgess was ordained to the priesthood in London on 27 July, 1930 (this was the same day in which Fr. Luis De Peretti, C.R.I.C. was ordained to the priesthood at Saint Ignatius Church in Rome. He would later become the Superior General of the Canons Regular of the Immaculate Conception).

     The Canons Regular of the Immaculate Conception came to England in 1937, and were established in the County of Essex. The parents of Fr. Francis had arranged for him to serve at a parish in Epping. There they constructed a church, assisted by Fr. Antoine Chalumeaux, C.R.I.C. Later on Fr. Michael Sheahan (then a C.R.I.C.) spent time there and for a brief time Br. Alfredo Scipioni (who was then a student). They led a simple life, one of silence, given their apostolate was limited due to the fact that there were not many Catholic families in the area. Fr. Burgess befriended the Iverson family, who are still great collaborators of our community today.

     They remained in Epping for 20 years, where Fr. John Taggart, C.R.I.C. (later founder of the community in California) and Fr. Reginald Brown, C.R.I.C. both entered the congregation. In 1954 the Burgess family constructed a new church in Harlow, nearby London. It was here that a student house was formed and soon brought forth four new priests: Fr. Michael Turner, C.R.I.C., Fr. James Cassidy, C.R.I.C. (both had studied one season in Rome), Fr. Michael Doyle, C.R.I.C. and Fr. Paul Boland, C.R.I.C.

     In 1973 the community accepted Saint Augustine Parish in Milton Keynes, in the outskirts of London. In 2001 the community consolidated their pastoral efforts and is now only serving at Saint Augustine’s Parish.