New FCA About Us

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Our Story

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. In 2017, Franciscan Federation President, Kathie Uhler, OSF, sent a letter to Third Order Regular USA leadership asking for discussion. Those meetings led to the Franciscan Central Archive Initiative.

In 2023, the FCA hired an archival consultant, Veronica Buchanan, with grant funding support from the Academy of American Franciscan History. She has performed onsite archival assessments and assisted with strategic planning. The organizational structure continues to expand with eight Board of Directors, Council of Partners, and five committees with four Advisors. 

Starting in 2026, the Advancement Committee formed and is in the process of hiring an Advancement Director who will complete the feasibility study and begin the capital campaign for our future archival center. The FCA is seeking additional grants to help carry out recommendations. This will include providing communities support to prepare their archival collections to move including physical processing, archival housing, and intellectual control through inventories and basic collection summaries. We will be seeking grants to assist project management, communications, development, and fundraising.

The FCA will be an archive center that offers economy of scale and shared resources so that it can serve as central repository to advocate for its Franciscan collections. The facility will meet professional standards for environmental control and have exhibition, meeting, and lecture spaces. Researchers will be able to study ministries, shared vocations, and the charism across collections. Educational and social programs will ensure its members’ legacy are carried into the future and celebrate the Franciscan charism.

The Board is pleased to announce that the FCA will be purchasing land in Frankfort, Illinois, from the Franciscan Sisters of the Sacred Heart for its future archival center! It is within reach of multiple universities and the two major airports. 2026 will be a year of planning and start of the capital campaign. The goal will be to break ground as early as spring of 2027.

Any remaining Franciscan entities considering joining the FCA for this phase of construction need to reach out and begin conversations as soon as possible as plans for common space and storage space will be finalized June 2026. We plan to open our archival center by or before 2030.

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.
DONATE

Timeline:

2017:

  • Call to action – TOR Task Force

2018:

  • Initiated TOR Central Archive Working Group

2021:

  • Name changed to Franciscan Central Archive

2022:

  • Academy of American Franciscan History grant awarded
  • Established a bank account with PNC Bank
  • Decision to join the Chicago Collaborative Archive Center

2023:

  • Hired Archival Consultant, Veronica Buchanan
  • Needs Assessment and Strategic Planning
  • Voted in initial Board of Directors
  • Articles of Incorporation in Illinois as a religious nonprofit
  • Federal Employer Identification Number
  • Grant from Academy of American Franciscan History for needs assessment and strategic planning
  • FCA establishes its own website
  • First FCA newsletter
  • Established the Franciscan Forum where the FCA can collaborate with a wide range of other Franciscan groups on shared projects and grants to further research into the history and legacy of the Franciscan tradition in the US

2024:

  • Archivists for Congregations of Women Religious (ACWR) Conference Presentation on the FCA’s unique approach to a collaborative archive concept
  • Creation of the FCA Endowment Fund
  • Established the FCA Executive Board
  • Established Development, Archives, and Education, Outreach, and Publications Committees

2025:

  • Initial Memorandum of Understanding Completed
  • Presentation to Convocation of Canonical Leaders (CCL) through the Franciscan Federation
  • Meeting of Partner Leadership in Atlanta prior to LCWR meeting
  • Accept offer to purchase a parcel of land from the Franciscan Sisters of the Sacred Heart in Frankfort, Illinois

2026:

  • Listed in the Official Catholic Directory (OCD)
  • Building and Advancement Committees formed
  • Architect, owner’s rep, civil engineer, construction manager, and structural engine hired for design and construction
  • Advancement Director hired and capital campaign initiated

What We Offer:

Services and Initiatives

  • Guidance and resources concerning archives
  • Assist leadership with hiring or contracting archivists
  • Provide a complete assessment of the digital and physical archives, identifying areas of need and forming a succinct action plan for addressing those needs with the FCA
  • Work to create or update archival policies and procedures
  • Provide opportunities for grant-funded archival projects to digitize or publicly share rare resources in partner collections
  • Assist partner leadership and archivists with strategic planning efforts
  • Provide storage space to partners who need to move their collections within the next 1-3 years along with guidance and contacts for packing and shipping the collection.
  • Provide grant-funded Contract Project Archivists to complete larger archival projects such as re-housing materials, processing the collection, or assessing artifacts.
  • Help prepare members’ archives to move their collections to the FCA location
  • Initiate legal agreements with partner entities to affirm our commitment to assisting with preparing your archive and insuring its long-term preservation with the FCA.
  • Assist with legacy planning for the archives and contributing towards the FCA Endowment

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.

  • Provide individual communities archival support defined by the needs assessment and with assistance from grant funding:
    • Collection preservation and supplies
    • Special projects
    • Contract archivist(s) or intern(s)
    • Storage needs
  • Assess new members’ archives
  • Prepare members’ archives to move their archival collections
  • Meet members’ needs and schedules for moving their archives
  • Development and capital campaign with communications strategy
  • Legacy planning to include an endowment fund such as a trust

Board of Directors & Advisors:

Board Officers:

Board President: Holly Fiedler

Holly Fiedler is Board President for the Franciscan Central Archive whose vision is a sustainable archival repository for Franciscan congregations. She has served as archivist for the Sisters of St. Francis, Sacred Heart Province in Denver, Colorado since 2019. In 2025, she was called to serve on the board of directors of the Commission on the Franciscan Intellectual-Spiritual Tradition. Holly has a Master of Art Conservation, three Bachelors of Science (Secondary Education, Mathematics, and Fine Arts), and is certified with the Society of American Archivists as a Digital Archives Specialist. She is a member of the Archivists for Congregations of Women Religious and the Society of American Archivists where she serves on the Archivists for Religious Collections Section’s Models and Resources Committee.

Holly has professionally worked in archives for about sixteen years, two years in museum collection management, and fourteen years in painting conservation with experience from federal, state, academic, private, and non-profit entities. She has recruited and supervised employees, contractors, volunteers, and interns. Relevant past experience includes: compiling and submitting museum insurance claim following damage and loss of a collection from a regional flood; preparing a newly constructed storage facility; directed
return of collections from multiple storage sites; appraisal and indexing collections prior to placement in storage; inventory, processing, and preservation of collections; facilitation of exhibitions and loans; managing insurance policies, rights and reproduction permissions, grants, and departmental budgets. Holly has presented at archival and historical conferences in the United States, Canada, and England.

Highlighted archival interests focus on the preservation of history and community legacy, collaboration to enable sustainability of collections, and responsible access to carry knowledge into the future. When not working, Holly enjoys time with her dog in nature,reading, or watching historical mysteries and documentaries.

Vice President: Celia Struck, OSF

Celia Struck, OSF, is a member of and the archivist for the Sisters of St. Francis of Assisi located in St. Francis, Wisconsin. She has been an archivist since 2010. Sr. Celia earned a Bachelor of Art degree in Education from Cardinal Stritch University. During her years of teaching, she earned two additional degrees and a license: MA of Education, MA of Education for Instructional Technology, and a Library Media Specialist License.

Prior to 2010, she was an elementary educator for 33 years in various Wisconsin cities and spent several years on the Standing Rock Indian Reservation in North Dakota teaching at St. Bernard’s School in Fort Yates, ND. Toward the end of her teaching career, she was asked to become the congregational archivist. In her eyes, that request was an honor!

At that time, the Catholic Library Association offered a weeklong ‘boot camp’ for new archivists taught by Malachy McCarthy and Ellen Pierce. Since then, Sr. Celia has attended numerous conferences and webinars. She is grateful for the knowledge and practice gained during her library media specialist coursework as it has enhanced her archival experience. Every day provides opportunities for new knowledge and experiences – learning never stops. 

To this day, it’s been a privilege to be the “caretaker” of her community’s history in New Assisi Archives. 

When not working in the archives, Celia loves to read, especially historical fiction and mysteries. She also is involved in crafts. Her favorite creations are “critters” from dried gourds. Never knowing what the critter will look like is one of her delights. Another favorite pastime is appreciating nature in all its beauty.

Treasurer: Mary Serbacki, OSF, C.A.

Mary holds a Bachelor of Arts from the College of New Rochelle, New Rochelle, NY, and Master of Arts in History and Archives Administration from the University of Michigan, Ann Arbor. She is a Certified Archivist and holds the following professional memberships: The Society of American Archivists, The Academy of Certified Archivists, Archivists for Congregations of Women Religious (former president and board member), Mid-Atlantic Regional Archives Conference, Western New York Archivists (chair), as well as Past President and board member of the Lewiston Historical Association and Society, Lewiston, NY.

Mary served as Provincial Councilor, Sisters of St. Francis, Holy Name Province, from 2007 to 2019. She has also served on the boards of the various province-sponsored ministries and is currently the Vice-President of the Board of Directors of Stella Niagara Education Park, Stella Niagara, NY. She also serves as Secretary for the Board of Directors of Francis Center, Niagara Falls, NY.

Since 1980, Mary has served as Province Archivist for the Sisters of St. Francis of Penance and Christian Charity, Holy Name Province, Stella Niagara, NY. At the same time, she is the Congregation Archivist for the Sisters of St. Francis of Penance and Christian Charity, Rome, Italy, a position she has held since 1991.

As province archivist, Mary has travelled to serve her congregation as ongoing project archivist/consultant for the general archives in Rome, Italy, as well as to act as an archival consultant for several of the provinces throughout the world. She has also served as a consultant for several other religious congregation’s and institutions and has been a presenter at various archival workshops and professional meetings in the U.S., Canada, and Kenya.

Secretary: Annette Skafgaard

 A graduate of Purdue University, Annette started her career in public accounting then transitioned into healthcare accounting.  In 2006 she became the Director of Finance and later the Executive Director at St. Coletta’s of Illinois (SCI) sponsored by The Sisters of St. Francis of Assisi.  SCI is a non-profit organization that serves people with developmental disabilities.  Annette is now retired and serves as a member of the Board of Directors in three non-for-profit ministries. 

Board Members:

Jeanne Bessette, OSF, Ed.D.

She holds bachelor’s and master’s degrees in English Literature and a doctorate in Private School Administration. She has worked in Catholic education at four high schools as teacher, department chair, principal, and president. Sr. Jeanne was the founding president of a Cristo Rey high school in Cincinnati, Ohio, and led the school through three major renovations including fundraising and building a new school from the ground up. She has also served a total of 13 years in administration for the Joliet Franciscans as councilor, general secretary, and current president. She has received awards for teaching excellence, educational and business leadership, innovation, and scholarship. In addition to being an avid reader of literary fiction, Sr. Jeanne enjoys cooking, travel, painting, playing liturgical music and knitting.

Veronica Buchanan

Veronica Buchanan currently serves as the Secretary on the Board of the Franciscan Central Archive. She also acts as the Archival Consultant for American Academy of Franciscan History grant-funded projects to fully assess the collections of committed partners. Outside of the FCA, she currently serves as the Executive Secretary for Archivists for Congregations of Women Religious as well as Archivist for the Sisters of Charity of Cincinnati. With ACWR, she was the Project Director for a 2-year NHPRC collaborative archives grant that formed the first-ever resource guide for Catholic Native boarding school collections. Her initial experience with women religious archives was as Assistant Archivist for the Franciscan Sisters of the Poor in Cincinnati.

Ted Behncke

 Ted Behncke is a Wisconsin native growing up in a farming community in southwest Wisconsin and graduating from High School there in 1978. He entered the U.S. Army immediately following high school and earned a Regular Army commission as a Second Lieutenant in 1985 through ROTC at the University of Wisconsin-Platteville. He retired as a Lieutenant Colonel in 2007 after 30 years of service. He served in varied operational, training, and executive positions during his military service, both in the U.S. and abroad. 

Ted joined the St. Coletta of Wisconsin family in 2008, serving in several positions including the Director of Residential Operations, the Vice President of Operations and Support Services, and the Chief Operating Officer. He became the President in 2015. Ted retired from St. Coletta in July of 2024 after 16 years of service there, and nine years as their president. Until his retirement, Ted also served for 12 years as an accreditation surveyor for the Commission on the Accreditation of Rehabilitation Facilities International (CARF). Ted has a Bachelor of Science in International Studies from the University of Wisconsin-Platteville, and a Master of Science in Administration from Central Michigan University. 

Ted is an avid lover of history and his first book, a biography of General George Custer, an American military figure, was published in 2020, and he has another book currently in the works. Ted is a Son of the American Revolution and an Associate member of the Sisters of St. Francis of Assisi. Ted and his wife Rose reside on a small farm in Fennimore, Wisconsin, where they raise the critically endangered American Cream Draft Horse, the only breed of draft horse native to the United States. They enjoy spending time with their family, have raised three sons, and have six grandchildren.

John D. Oliverio

John D. Oliverio is the former president and CEO of Wheaton Franciscan Healthcare where he served for more than 32 years in various capacities. Wheaton Franciscan Healthcare was a Catholic nonprofit organization with 14 hospitals, more than 1,500 beds, over 17,000 associates and 500 medical group physicians, and a low-income housing ministry with 3000 units in Wisconsin, Iowa, Colorado, and Illinois. With a deep commitment to Catholic health care, Oliverio led the organization’s strategy to integrate delivery systems across markets, expand physician services, and create innovative physician partnerships to effectively support the needs of patients, associates, physicians, and communities. John completed his undergraduate studies at Loyola University-Chicago with a bachelor’s in business administration and received his master’s degree from the Northwestern Kellogg School of Management. In 2008, John was awarded the Benemerenti medal by Pope Benedict XVI. Oliverio, is a Certified Public Accountant and currently serves as the treasurer of the Unites States region of the Franciscan Sisters Daughters of the Sacred Heart of Jesus and Mary. He has extensive governance experience, as a member and chair of numerous health care systems, educational, association and nonprofit organization boards and committees over his career.

Sister Deborah Lockwood, OSF

I began my ministry in the congregation in 1970 at Sacred Heart School in Altadena, CA, teaching 7-8 grade Science and History, followed by nine years at Alverno High School, Sierra Madre teaching 9-12 grade biological sciences and yearbook.

After our school was transferred to another congregation, in 1979 I began 25 years of ministry at St. James Church in Las Vegas, NV, as a pastoral minister/director of religious education. This was a “mission” parish, as they called it back then, serving the African American community. The Franciscan friars were also ministering in St. John’s Church in Overton, NV and as I worked with them, I became involved in religious education there with the Hispanic community. These years were a great blessing to me working cross-culturally and being enriched by sharing in the lives of the folks of two cultures. During this time, I was part of the Provincial Council for eight years.

In 2004 I was elected to our general leadership team and moved to Rome, Italy, which gave me many opportunities to visit and minister to the sisters in our international congregation. I was subsequently elected as General Minister of the congregation and served in that capacity for ten years until 2019 when I returned to California. During that time, I was part of the International Franciscan Conference of the Third Oder of St. Francis and served as President for two terms from 2013 until 2022. That further expanded opportunities to interact with the Franciscan family all over the world.

I returned to California in 2020 and have been ministering on the Provincial Council since 2021 with various responsibilities, including Board Member of Franciscan Federation and Franciscan Central Archives.

My educational background includes a Bachelor’s degree in Biology and a Master’s degree in Pastoral Ministry. My informal educational background is varied, mainly concentrated in areas such as language, culture, Franciscan spirituality and organizational dynamics.

Advisors:

Kathie Uhler, OSF – Advisor to the Council of Parters and EOP Committee

Kathie is a Franciscan Sister of Allegany, NY. In 2021 she established the House of Prayer for All People (Is 56:7) at the invitation of Trinity Episcopal Church, Gulph Mills, PA. She currently resides there (2025).

Kathie’s education career included: a Ph.D. in Philosophy from Georgetown University in 1975. Her assignments extended from 1979 to 1986 at the University of Scranton and St. Bonaventure University, where she led the founding of the Peace Studies Program in 1981; and as Academic Dean of Christ the King Seminary, East Aurora, NY. She then served as the executive Director of the Center for Justice of Buffalo, NY, from 1988 to 1992.

Through the 1990’s and again in the mid-2000s Kathie co-directed Franciscans International, an NGO based at the United Nations to represent the values of the worldwide Franciscan Family: peace, the poor, and the planet. An event outstanding among many that Kathie led for FI was the Delegation to the 1995 UN 4th World Women’s Conference in Beijing, China. 

From 2002 through 2008, Kathie ministered with the Christian Peacemaker Teams Palestinian Team and was based in Hebron in the West Bank. Following this, for three years, she assisted the Executive Director of the Catholic Mobilizing Network to End the Death Penalty in Washington, DC. 

Kathie held leadership positions as a General Councilor for the Allegany Franciscans from 1984 to 1988; and from 2012 as a Member of the Board of the Franciscan Federation of the USA and then as President from 2015 to 2017. She is author of Part II of the History of the Franciscan Federation TOR USA (1996-2016). In 2017, as President of the Federation, Kathie initiated the foundation of the Franciscan Central Archive.

Sue Artone-Fricke, OSF – Advisor to the Finance Committee

Sue Artone-Fricke, OSF, is currently provincial minister for Sisters of St. Francis, Sacred Heart Province, Denver, Colorado. Prior to that, she was finance officer for 24 years. Among a wide variety of responsibilities and experiences, she oversaw province financial and finance-related operations, long-range planning, and property administration, construction, and divestment.

Denise Gallo – Advisor to the Council of Partners and Archive Committee

Denise Gallo (Historical Consultant) has been charged with creating a list of all Franciscan communities that were founded and operated in the United States. Her ability in researching this challenge stems from graduate studies in 18th and 19th century culture and society followed by 12 years’ experience as Provincial Archivist for the Daughters of Charity and for the Religious of Jesus and Mary. Prior to that, she was head archivist for the Music Division of the Library of Congress. 

Past historical research projects include tracking discrepancies for the ACWR NHPRC Grant Project on Catholic-Operated Native Boarding Schools in the United States, pre-1978 (NHPRC-ACWR-RESEARCH-REPORT-OCT-2024.pdf); National Park Service and Rhode Island Jewish Historical Association: “Roger Williams, Religious Freedom, and a Jewish Legacy (Isaac Hahn Family)” (Roger Williams, Religious Freedom, and a Jewish Legacy (U.S. National Park Service); and Massachusetts State Library Digital Archives: transcriptions of correspondence in the Colonel Alfred Stedman Hartwell Collection (State Library Transcription Project: Pilot | Mass.gov). 

Dee also shares her experience as a Trustee of the Rhode Island Historical Society and head of its Collections Committee. Before switching careers to archives, she was on the Music History faculty of The Catholic University of America.

Dennis Masters – Advisor to the Building Committee

Dennis Masters is a happily retired General Contractor with over 50 years of construction management experience. His initial role was as founding partner of BRD Construction in 1978 which expanded over time contributing to growing the company responsibly until retirement in 2020. The company began in Buffalo, NY and performs primarily east of the Mississippi River from Florida to Maine. BRD also maintains a presence in Texas. 

During that tenure, as Director of BRD’s human resources department, safety/risk management program, and the estimating department the company thrived. As a principal, he was most involved early and often at project inception with the Owner and Architect to control costs and maintain mandated schedules and quality control acting as a senior project manager. The client base ranges from Residential, Commercial, Industrial, Food Service, Education, Health Care, Hospitality, Airport and Technology to Historic restoration projects. He is currently still licensed as a professional general contractor in FL, GA, SC, NC, MS, TN, VA, and AZ.