Archival Resources for Catholic Collections

Image 1 courtesy of National Archives of the Marianist Province of the United States – The Marianist brothers visit Mission Concepcion on Easter Monday, 1914, where they were formerly located for more than half a century (1855-1911). Image 2 courtesy of the Archives of the North American Province of the Cenacle – Cenacle American Province, end of Chapter 1932. Pictured in France at Notre Dame d’Aye, left to right, are Sisters Edna Duprey, Anna Doherty, Elizabeth Keating, Katherine McCloskey, and Margaret McCarthy. Image 3 courtesy of the Claretian Missionaries Archives: Immaculate Heart of Mary Church, Poteet, Texas, Mission Church, Reverend James Tort in center. Image 4 courtesy of Presentation Archives, San Francisco: Bishop Conaty Memorial High School Faculty, Los Angeles, California, 1920s.

Archival Resources for Catholic Collections (ARCC) is an organization committed to preserving the legacy of Catholic women and men religious who created educational, charitable, and medical infrastructures in the United States and Canada. Today, many of the records that document these outstanding contributions to society are at risk of being lost. By providing a space for collaboration, education and advocacy, ARCC’s mission is to assist Catholic religious communities looking to secure a permanent record of their spiritual lives and corporeal work. Learn More.

Working groups serve as the vehicle for addressing the challenges facing Catholic religious archives. They focus aspects of one or more of three major principles outlined in Preserving the Past, Building for the Future: The Boston College Working Paper – Collaboration, Education and Advocacy. Some are formed by the ARCC Steering Committee and others by interested leaders, archivists or scholars. The purpose of every working group is to provide the community with curated information and guidance on aspects of managing or using archival collections. More information can be accessed below or through the Resources tab.

Announcements

Webinar video available!

View the video from our recent webinar, Collaborative Archives: Factors and Benefits, here.

Image courtesy of Sisters of St. Francis of Philadelphia, Aston, Pennsylvania – Since 1892 Sisters have been ministering with the Arapahoe Indians at St. Stephen Indian Mission, Wyoming.

Collaboration

Only a unified response will resolve the challenges confronting religious archives. Through a community driven model, we are committed to sharing resources to improve the archival management of religious collections.

Repository Working Group

Image courtesy of the Congregation of Saint Joseph in Canada Archives – Music Class – Sr. Marie Brebeuf Beninger teaching music in separate school.

Education

Learning from one another is central to moving preservation efforts forward. Education can take many forms – sharing experiences through personal networks, webinars, workshops, conferences or classes – but the goal is the same, create a wide range of creative solutions to best meet the challenges faced by religious leaders, archivists and scholars invested in saving and using these collections.

Image courtesy of Presentation Archives, San Francisco – Sr. Margaret Cafferty at a rally for social justice advocate, Father Eugene Boyle’s campaign for California State Assembly.

Advocacy

Advocacy raises the visibility of Catholic archival collections, promotes understanding them in the broader context of world history and seeks to secure their ongoing preservation through financial support. These often hidden collections have much to reveal about the outstanding contributions of Catholic communities, societies and orders to the overall historical narrative.

Join Us

Please join the ongoing conversation in our Google group or consider volunteering your time and talents through ARCC to help your fellow Catholic archives community members. Our email is archivalrcc@gmail.com.