The mission of the National Archives Project for Women Religious is to collect and preserve in perpetuity the recorded history and artifacts of congregations of women religious in the United States. We envision this through the establishment of a cooperative structure among congregations, repositories, and archive centers linked together and accessible through a shared technology platform. This would be sustainably funded to ensure the proper care of the histories, legacies, and stories of pioneering women who have shaped Catholic life and American culture.
Led by four partners, NAPWR is working to strengthen individual efforts to build and expand repositories that will house additional congregational archives to address the current crisis facing the legacies of women religious in the U.S. These initial repositories will provide a blueprint for establishing additional centers. Every archive of women religious congregations or repository has the opportunity to connect to this national network.
The National Archives Project for Women Religious (NAPWR) was formed in 2021 to develop a national, collaborative approach to preserve, protect, and make accessible the stories of women religious. The inspiration for NAPWR followed a 2018 working conference, “Envisioning the Future of Catholic Religious Archives,” sponsored by Boston College.
With funding from the Conrad N. Hilton Foundation, NAPWR commissioned the Center for Applied Research in the Apostolate at Georgetown University to conduct a study on the state of archives among congregations of women religious in the United States. The study confirmed the need and urgency to plan for these collections.
Every congregation contributes a unique story that weaves into an amazing tapestry of Catholic life and American culture. NAPWR increases the capacity of repositories to hold and share these stories from communities of bold, daring, and visionary women so they won’t be lost or forgotten.
With proper privacy safeguards, access to these archives helps researchers tell stories, honor the legacy of women religious, and inspire future generations. NAPWR offers congregations different options for where they can house their archives so they will be professionally managed and open to researchers.
Archives contain a congregation’s charisms, memories, and inspirations. NAPWR connects congregations to experts in long-range archives planning.
With collections placed in repositories nationwide, NAPWR will create a digital platform to connect these collections and expand access.
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