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Welcome to the

Franciscan Central Archive

We recognize the urgency for Franciscan congregations to find permanent repositories for their archives that will safeguard the community’s charism and legacy for future generations.

The Franciscan Central Archive will be a physical center, following national archival standards, with a reading room, exhibition space, lecture hall, and robust virtual presence. Researchers will be able to study congregational ministries, shared vocations, and Franciscan charism across the collections. The FCA will be supported by charism-based educational programs and social engagement to ensure its members’ legacies are carried into the future.

Participation is open to Franciscan communities and organizations.

THE REALITY
The time to plan is now!

CARA’s National  Women Religious Archive
Survey Report 2022:

Respondents that anticipate transitioning their archive to a repository most favored a
charism-based archive by 42%.

Average Age of Individuals:
Under 70 = 20%
70 to 79 = 27%
80 or older = 50%

Size of Community:
More than 100 = 20%
51 to 100 = 30%
50 or fewer = 43%

When Communities Anticipate Transitioning Their Archive to a Permanent Repository:
Within the year = 3%
3-5 years = 15%
5-10 years = 21%
+10 years = 20%
Unknown = 41%

In the United States, the Franciscan Federation has 48 member congregations of the Third Order regular brothers and sisters. There are three First Order congregations (OFMs, Conventuals, and Capuchins) and multiple Second Order Poor Clare communities.

Mission Statement: The Franciscan Central Archive (FCA) preserves, protects, and provides access to the records of its Franciscan entities for the purposes of research and knowledge through a collaborative repository that will carry the Franciscan charism and legacy into the future.

Services and Initiatives

Professional Archivists will maintain physical and intellectual control, ensure integrity, and make records accessible following national standards, defined by the Society of American Archivists. 

The FCA recognizes the value of processing and describing collections within their communities to document the provenance and intent, thus preserving integrity prior to moving the collections. This enables efficient access to collections so that the FCA can be responsive to its members.

PURPOSE

History & Memory

Knowledge

Timeline

2017
2018
2022



2023

2024

Next Steps

The FCA plans to open by 2033. If a community has a more immediate need to transition its archival collection, interim storage options are available with on-site archivist support.

GOALS​

Preserve​

Inform & Connect

Foster Collaboration​

Engage & Inspire

Our Story

In 2017, Franciscan Federation President, Kathie Uhler, OSF, sent a letter to Third Order Regular USA leadership asking for discussion. This brought together a working group of archivists and leaders from interested communities to discern how best to ensure the future care of the congregations’ archival collections and the Franciscan legacy they document through a charism-based collaborative. Those meetings led to the Franciscan Central Archive Initiative.

Starting in 2023, the FCA hired archival consultant, Veronica Buchanan, with assistance of grant funds from the Academy of American Franciscan History to perform a needs assessment and strategic planning. We have nine communities participating in this phase:

The FCA is seeking additional grants to help carry out recommendations. This will include providing the communities with support to prepare their archival collections to move including processing, archival housing, and intellectual control through inventories and collection summaries. New communities will have an opportunity to have their archive collections assessed. We will be seeking grants to assist with project management, communications, development, and fundraising.

The FCA has joined the Chicago Collaborative Archive Center (CCAC). The CCAC will be a collaborative archive center in downtown Chicago that offers economy of scale, shared resources, professional interaction, and will be a central repository for scholars. The facility will meet professional standards for environmental control and have an exhibition space and lecture hall. It will be within reach of multiple universities and have easy access to public transportation and airports. The CCAC Board of Directors has been in active conversation with Preservation Chicago, Dominican University, the City of Chicago, the FCA, and the Order of Franciscans Minor six USA provinces, among others. Dominican University has a library and information science program which could aid in preservation.

The CCAC is under development and plans to open within ten years. If a community has a more immediate need to transition, interim storage options are currently available with on-site archivist support in Chicago.

VALUES​

Responsible Stewardship

Integrity & Accountability

Professional Service

Sustainability

Funding is dependent upon grants, donations, participating members, and fundraising. We need your help to see the FCA through the next steps.

How to support

Volunteer:  We are seeking assistance with grant writing, development, and fundraising.
Donations and Planned Giving:  We welcome support for the legacy of our communities and Franciscan charism through the preservation of our archival collections.

Partnerships and Affiliations

CONNECT WITH US

Email: FCArchive@franciscanway.org

FCA Contact: Holly Fiedler - (303) 458-6270 x112