It has been a very busy summer for our WRAC team. Sister Susan and Ellen Pierce were on the road in June, to visit our Southern Ohio and Kentucky partners, The Precious Blood Sisters in Dayton, the Ursulines of Louisville and Cincinnati, and the Sisters of Loretto. In addition to visiting these partners, the Ursuline Sisters of Brown County invited us to present our vision to their members.
We were impressed with the archives, the dedicated archivists who keep the collections in order, and with the leadership teams who are committed to preserving these wonderful collections as a part of their legacy planning. Inevitably, the best part of each of these visits is the story telling, especially the colorful back stories!
Ellen was able to work directly with the archivists to gain a better understanding of their collections and their system of organization, to help assess future space needs, and to answer questions. The information provided by the archivists is critical to our planning efforts. Sister Susan met with the leadership of each congregation to share a presentation about the project to date, to outline future steps, and to answer questions. The professionals and dedicated volunteers who work in these archives and the leaders of each congregation have become great partners in this endeavor.
In July the team traveled to Iowa to spend time with the Clinton Franciscans. Hearing the stories and working with their collection, we gained an appreciation for their amazing history of service which began in Gethsemane, Kentucky.
Part of our travel has included visits to other archival facilities to educate ourselves and our planning team. Recent visits included our future neighbor, the Rock & Roll Hall of Fame Archives, and The Western Reserve Historical Society, both in Cleveland, and also the Jewish American Museum in Cincinnati. We met with the Executive Directors of each facility and toured their spaces. Each shared information about facility management, staffing, programming, and functionality of space, and each offered suggestions about best practices and ideas for construction. We are so grateful for the welcome we received at each organization. Their willingness to partner with us, to serve as a resource and to share their expertise is truly a gift to our process.
View the WRAC August Newsletter Women Religious Archives Collaborative August 2023 Newsletter
Subscribe to the WRAC newsletter for monthly updates
