The Center for Catholic Women's History at the College of
Saint Elizabeth
Established:
Spring 2001
Location: Campus
of the College of Saint Elizabeth Archives; second floor of
Mahoney Library
Goals:
To collect
Catholic women's stories of their experience of being Catholic
and the ways they are handing on the faith
To make the
stories available to researchers as a source of studying
Catholicism in the United States
The Center for
Catholic Women's History developed from several initiatives
taken during the past four years. An oral history project,
Gifts from the Past, was begun in 1998 with a grant
of $5000 from the Sisters of Charity of Saint Elizabeth Ministry
Grants Program and the College matched these funds. One of
the goals of Gifts from the Past was to collect Catholic
women's stories of their experience of being Catholic and
the ways they are handing on the faith. Another goal has been
to make these stories available for students and researchers
as a source in studying Catholicism in New Jersey and in the
United States.
In May 2000, the
oral history project was awarded a grant of $9000 from the
New Jersey Historical Commission along with the College providing
additional funding. The purpose of this grant was to conduct
oral history interviews of post World War II Catholic women
immigrants living in Jersey City, Union City and Passaic.
Close to 100 oral histories have been recorded of New Jersey women, some of these women lived in the state for many years and were influenced by the Sisters of Charity and others are recent immigrants whose Catholic roots were planted in countries such as Peru, Mexico, India, Kenya, Cuba, and Belize. Leadership for the Center is provided by Sister Kathleen Flanagan, Dr. Johanna Glazewski, Sister Mary Ellen Gleason, Debra Martin, Carole Garibaldi Rogers, Dr. Margaret Roman, Dr. Susan Simonaitis, and Dr. Carol Strobeck.
A grant of $6800
was awarded by the Vincentian Studies Institute in November
2001. The purpose of this grant is to pursue the theme of
"Handing On the Charism," by conducting interviews
among women whose stories deepen our awareness of the way
the Vincentian charism has influenced or transformed their
lives.
In February 2002,
another grant was received from the New Jersey Historical
Commission, in the amount of $3414. This funding will be denoted
to the collection, transcription and preservation of oral
history interviews with African-American Catholic women who
live in two New Jersey communities with deep African-American
roots - Newark and Montclair.
Additional gifts
have been received to assist with the development of the Center
and the College has provided more funding.
