and most had servants available. They took no vows of perpetual celibacy (often excepting the abbess, as at Essen Abbey), and thus could leave at any time to marry, which happened not infrequently. An influx of Greek names at Essen suggests that after the death of the Empress Theophanu in 991, a Byzantine princess, her Greek ladies-in-waiting were retired en masse to Essen, where at this period the powerful abbesses were mostly women from the ruling Ottonian dynasty. Where affected by the Protestant Reformation, these communities almost invariably accepted the new faith. Some continued to exist as communities of single women supported by the local rulers. Almost all had ceased to exist by the 20th century. Notable canonesses Secular canonesses Gerberga II, Abbess of Gandersheim Hrotsvitha (c. 935–973) a German secular canoness known for her impact on literature and history. Mathilde, Abbess of Essen Matilda of Ringelheim Matilda, Abbess of Quedlinburg (955–999) Adelaide I, Abbess of Quedlinburg (c. 973 – c. 1044) Sophia I, Abbess of Gandersheim Present day In 2010, the Sisters in Jesus the Lord, Canonissae in Jesu Domino (CJD), were established as a Public Association of the Faithful by Bishop Robert Finn in the Diocese of Kansas City-St Joseph, Missouri. They are based in Kansas City, Missouri, and have a house in Vladivostok, Russia, where they serve Roman Catholics at Most Holy Mother of God Parish. Their brother community is the Canons Regular of Jesus the Lord, located in Vladivostok, Russia. In 2009, the Canonesses of the Mother of God were to be found at Gap in France and are linked to the Canons at Lagrasse. Canonesses Regular of the Holy Sepulchre founded in the 14th century, were originally the female branch of the ancient military Order of that name, the Canons Regular of the Holy Sepulchre. As of A.D. 2011, there were monasteries of the Order in Belgium, Brazil, England, the Netherlands and Spain. The majority of the communities have ceased to wear a traditional religious habit, but their identifying insignia remains the double-barred Cross of the Order. Canonesses of St Victor d' Ypres trace their foundation to William de Champeaux, founder of the Congregation of St Victor of Paris (Victorines),(1108). In 1236 the community was based in Roebrugge, in western Flanders (Belgium). They have since moved to nearby Ypres, where they operated a school. As of 2014 there are six canonesses based out of the