About Us

Mission

Women Religious Archives Collaborative (WRAC) is a 501(c)3 independent, nonprofit organization based in Cleveland, Ohio. Its mission is to preserve the legacy of women religious in the United States. To accomplish its mission, WRAC is working to:

provide advice and guidance to women religious without plans for their archives;
establish a heritage center, which will be a permanent home for the archives of up to 40 congregations open to the public for research, programming, and presentations in person and online; and
educate the public about the importance of preserving the legacies of Catholic sisters.

History

In 2018, a group of concerned Catholic Sisters, archivists, and academics came together to discuss how they might ensure that the Sisters’ legacies of service and contributions to their region might be celebrated well into the future. They were prompted by the report “Preserving the Past, Building for the Future” issued by Boston College about the urgent need for women religious to plan for their archives.

Over the next four years, the group conducted needs assessments and focus groups, which, in 2022, resulted in the founding of the Women Religious Archives Collaborative (WRAC). In 2023, WRAC announced its plans to build a heritage center to open in Spring 2026.

People

Sister Susan Durkin, OSU – Executive Director and co-founder of WRAC. Sr. Susan is past President of the Ursuline Sisters of Cleveland. During her tenure, she oversaw the capital campaign for and construction of a new 68,000-square-foot $22 million residence for the Ursuline Sisters of Cleveland and community chapel. She previously served as the congregation’s Development Director and has more than 20 years of fundraising experience.

Ellen Pierce – Archival Consultant, will advise on best practices for the collections. Pierce is the Past President of the Archivists for Congregations of Women Religious (ACWR) and Former Director of the Maryknoll Mission Archives, which she helped build. She received the Sister M. Claude Lane, O.P., Memorial Award given by the Society of American Archivists (SAA) in conjunction with the Society of Southwest Archivists for her significant contribution to the field of religious archives. She is a frequent presenter at religious archives convenings and conferences.

Sister Joan Peine, OSU – Finance Director. For the past 42 years Sr. Joan has been an Ursuline Sister of Cleveland. She received a BA from Ursuline College in Cleveland, OH in Math and teaching and a Masters of Non-Profit Administration from the University of Notre Dame. She is currently assisting the startup of the Women Religious Archives Collaborative as the Director of Finance. Previously Sr. Joan was the Treasurer/CFO for the Ursuline Sisters of Cleveland for 17 years and prior to that served as the Treasurer/CFO for Beaumont School in Cleveland Heights, OH for 13 years.

Margaret Eigsti – Managing Director. Margaret has been a great champion of WRAC from its inception. Margaret most recently served as a Senior Program Officer for the Sisters of Charity Foundation of Cleveland and previously worked as Assistant Director for Donor Relations and Stewardship at Case Western Reserve University and Program Associate at the Incarnate Word Foundation in St. Louis, Missouri. She brings a unique skill set from her years of experience working in the nonprofit sector and with Catholic Sisters and their ministries. She has experience in grant making, strategic planning, fundraising and fellowship programming. Her skills will help us create a vibrant, mission-centered organization.