Sisters of Faith,Stewards of History: Preserving Women Religious Archives

Abstract

The archives of women religious provide opportunities for the exploration of untapped resources that challenge researchers to consider religious communities in broad social and cultural contexts and narratives. Today, the history of these female spiritual communities faces significant challenges as religious orders consolidate, orders converge, and their historical materials are vulnerable to loss. This article provides a conceptual overview of some of the special challenges that women religious orders face in maintaining their institutional archives and explores how community and national collaborations are leading to next-generation successes. Additionally, the article focuses on the historical role of “sister archivists” and the culture of record keeping and historical documentation within female religious communities, such as the Maryknoll Sisters and the Poor Handmaids of Jesus Christ.