A Resource for Congregations

NAPWR connects congregations to resources on:

how a long-term plan ensures that its history and stories are preserved in perpetuity and made accessible to researchers.

legal issues, privacy requirements, Canonical issues, and sustainable funding to preserve its archives into perpetuity.

the importance of its archives as part of the congregation's patrimony and heritage.

long-term planning options to preserve and house archives.

NAPWR can connect your congregation with trained archivists, sisters, and lay professionals who are knowledgeable about archives and religious life. Support includes guidance in planning for the future of your archives, assessing your collection, creating a finding aid, and setting up an archive. Depending on the level of assistance needed, support can be provided through phone consultations or in-person visits by an Archival Response Team (ART), prioritizing congregations with limited resources.

The Importance of a Congregation’s Archives

Planning for your archives is a part of your congregation’s patrimony

“As places of memory, archives must carefully and meticulously gather all the data making up the expressed, revealed history of the Church community so that what has been accomplished, the results achieved, including omissions and errors, may be properly reviewed or assessed and made available for study.”
PONTIFICAL COMMISSION FOR THE CULTURAL PATRIMONY OF THE CHURCH Circular Letter,
THE PASTORAL FUNCTION OF CHURCH ARCHIVES Vatican City, February 2, 1997
"As leaders we spend a lot of time working to ensure the care of our sisters. But it's also important to care for the legacy of the sisters who have gone before us."
Sister Ginger Downey, OLVM, NAPWR Board Chair

Frequently Asked Questions

(Click a question to drop down/reveal answer)

No. Do not hesitate to contact a repository, regardless of how organized your collection is. One of the repositories’ roles is to assess your collection and provide guidance around its organization.

No. Regardless of your congregation’s stage, it’s never too late to make a plan for your archives. Creating an archive plan is an important part of planning for fulfillment. Newer congregations can begin planning now or even start an archive if one hasn’t been established.

There are trained archivist consultants throughout the U.S. who have experience working with women religious. They can provide guidance or assist with a specific project. ACWR publishes a directory of consultants: Consultant Directory | ACWR (archivistsacwr.org). If your congregation has limited financial resources, contact NAPWR about our Archival Response Team or to learn about repositories that are willing to accept collections at “no cost” or “as able to contribute.” There are options.

There are several options to consider. These include collaborative repositories, universities, and diocesan archives, to name a few. 

Click here to see the current NAPWR repositories. They represent different models of collaborative repositories to consider. To learn more, contact NAPWR.

If you would like more information about long-range planning for your archives contact us here.

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