Archival, special collection, and primary source materials related to women’s religious orders are available at institutions not included in this online exhibit. Some other institutions and collections with relevant material include:

The Catholic Theological Union Archives: in addition to books on women religious that have been digitized and are available through the CRRA’s Catholic Portal, this institution also holds the Women Religious Under Communism collection: “In 2003, Sr. Margaret Nacke and Sr. Mary Savoie, Sisters of St. Joseph of Concordia, Kansas, began to collect personal recollections, photographs, books and other materials detailing the lives of women religious during the communist period. A documentary film on the suppression of the religious congregations was produced in 2009 which incorporated testimonials from this project. The records contain over two hundred testimonials which have been translated into English from nuns living in the countries of Bulgaria, the Czech Republic, Hungary, Lithuania, Poland, Romania, Slovakia and Ukraine. Accompanying materials include articles, pamphlets, correspondence, interview guides and photographs.” The finding aid for this collection is available online.

Our Lady of Victory Missionary Sisters: The journal, The Missionary Catechist:  “This journal was published by Our Lady of Victory Missionary Sisters of Huntington, Indiana, from 1924 to 1964. Its articles dealt with those areas in which we were missioned and those we administered to. Our primary focus was with Hispanic Americans, usually those of Mexican descent in the early days. We were located primarily in the South western states of New Mexico, Texas, California, Nevada, Utah, Colorado, and Wyoming. We also administered in Indiana, Illinois, Alabama, New Jersey, Massachusetts, Kentucky, Florida, and West Virginia.” This journal is being digitized and will shortly be available through the Catholic Portal.

Society of the Holy Child Jesus and Rosemont College: “The Cornelia Connelly Digital Library offers research on the life and spirituality of Venerable Cornelia Connelly, including the history and mission of the Society of the Holy Child Jesus which she founded. It is a marvelous collection of documents, photos and other materials useful not only for the SHCJ Network of Schools but for the whole Society and others. It is a testament to the power of Cornelia Connelly’s vision, the strength of her faith, and the depth of her love that more than 160 years after she began the Society of the Holy Child Jesus, her philosophy continues to help others grow spiritually and academically.  With little more than the spoken word, pen and paper, and the printing press to capture her teachings, Cornelia left a legacy that continues to inspire hundreds of Sisters and countless school administrators and teachers on four continents.  Cornelia’s message has been carried on by the Sisters of the Holy Child for more than 150 years. Imagine the impact of the Holy Child message if Cornelia had had access to the wonders of modern technologies!  Cornelia, who is described by historians as progressive and ahead of her time, would probably have been at the forefront of using technology to help others grow strong in their faith, promote a love of learning, a spirit of joy, and respect for every human being.  The Sisters knew that they had an incredible opportunity to share their message with millions of people; and today, a group of educators, known as the Cornelia Connelly Curriculum Committee, has taken Cornelia’s message to the masses by creating an online resource library available to the world. The Cornelia Connelly Digital Library ensures that Cornelia’s message, which the Sisters have carried on for centuries, continues to live.  The Library provides all who seek to grow in their faith with the values, skills, and inspiration to be themselves, the self that God wants them to be.”

These remarkable resources are just a portion of what is available at the institutions  described on this page, as well as those who contributed images and materials to the exhibit. If you have any additional collections to suggest, leave a comment to let us know, including a link or contact information, and we will add it to this list. Comments left after October 31, 2013 may not be added to the list.