Heritage and Research Center
at Saint Mary's

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Who We Are

The Heritage and Research Center (HARC) at Saint Mary's is a collaborative archive that preserves and honors the history of women religious. Our collections and exhibits highlight the long legacy of service and activism of Catholic sisters.

HARC is a collaboration between ten congregations of Catholic sisters to collect and maintain their documents and artifacts. These records trace more than 175 years of ministry across the United States and around the world. They reveal how Catholic sisters have shaped education, healthcare, and social justice in the communities they serve. The archives also provide insight into how the congregations have grown and adapted to changes in society and religious life.

HARC makes these rich histories accessible to scholars and the public through our digital collections and physical archives. Visitors can explore documents, photographs, audio-visual materials, scrapbooks, paintings, and other artifacts.

Together, these materials tell the inspiring stories of the lives of women religious, their activism, and their enduring impact. From founding schools and hospitals to prison ministry, they have positively influenced the lives of immigrants, people living with poverty, and other vulnerable and marginalized communities.

HARC now ensures these stories are told and preserves them for future researchers and learners.

Mission and Vision

HARC is committed to illuminating and preserving the contributions of Catholic sisters. By making their stories available for research and scholarship, we aim to inspire others to carry forward their legacy of service and leadership.

Our work is guided by four core values:

Preserve and provide access

We support research by making the archival materials of women religious available for scholars, students, and teachers.

Share knowledge of Catholic sisters and their ministries

We share the stories of Catholic sisters and their ongoing contributions to community organizations, institutions, education, social justice, and women's leadership.

Encourage service for the most vulnerable

We aim to inspire laity to consider how they can build on current and past global ministries to serve people in need.

Help reimagine religious life and service

We create opportunities for laity and women religious to come together and create new forms of collective outreach for those in need.

Museum display of a habit, dolls, and preserved artifacts at HARC

The History of the Center and Our Collaborations

As congregations of women religious across the country consider how to preserve their legacies, HARC stands as a leading example of what collaborative action can look like. Recognizing that many congregations face an urgent question: what will happen to all their stories and materials? A group of Midwestern sisters chose to respond together rather than alone.

Our Leadership

Portrait of Barbara Gordon

Barbara Gordon

Executive Director

Portrait of JA Pryse

JA Pryse

Lead Archivist

Portrait of Jennifer Head

Jennifer Head

Congregational Archivist

History of the Center

The History of the Center and Our Collaborations

Museum display of a habit, dolls, and preserved artifacts at HARC

As congregations of women religious across the country consider how to preserve their legacies, HARC stands as a leading example of what collaborative action can look like. Recognizing that many congregations face an urgent question: what will happen to all their stories and materials? A group of Midwestern sisters chose to respond together rather than alone.

In April 2018, the Sisters of the Holy Cross Motherhouse hosted a Day of Dreaming at Saint Mary's College in Notre Dame, Indiana, to address this concern. Representatives from several congregations in the Midwest gathered to brainstorm ways to preserve and share their histories.

This event led to the founding of HARC. From the very beginning, HARC has been built on collaboration and a desire to share knowledge. We bring together women religious and laity to educate the public about the ministries and social justice advocacy of Catholic sisters. Our archives contain a rich array of materials from ten congregations serving communities across the globe.

We've also partnered with Saint Mary's College to house the materials and provide access to the public. In July 2024, we held a groundbreaking ceremony to kick off construction of the new Heritage and Research Center. The building will include classrooms, exhibition space, and a vault to protect the congregations' physical materials.

Our Leadership

Barbara Gordon

Executive Director

Portrait of Barbara Gordon
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Bio

Barbara Gordon, MLS, Executive Director of the Heritage and Research Center (HARC) at Saint Mary's, has more than a decade of leadership experience with public libraries. Her expertise spans cultural preservation, strategic growth, and community engagement. Named to the Michiana Forty Under 40, Barbara previously directed multiple library facilities in Michigan, leading capital campaigns, securing sustainable funding, and modernizing digital and outreach efforts. She holds a Master of Library Science, with a specialization in rare books and manuscripts, from Indiana University Bloomington and dual bachelor's degrees in Drawing and Painting and Psychology from Loyola University Chicago. Her background in archives and special collections, combined with her passion for faith and history, uniquely position her to guide HARC through its foundational years and into the future.

Our Leadership

JA Pryse

Lead Archivist

Portrait of JA Pryse
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Bio

JA Pryse serves as Lead Archivist at the Heritage and Research Center at Saint Mary's College, overseeing the preservation, organization, and accessibility of the Center's archival collections. With more than fourteen years of experience in congressional and cultural heritage repositories, Pryse specializes in digital preservation, metadata design, and workflow optimization.

Before joining Saint Mary's, he was Senior Archivist III and Curator at the Carl Albert Congressional Research and Studies Center at the University of Oklahoma. Pryse holds master's degrees in Museum Science and Library and Information Science and is completing a Ph.D. in Information Science focused on Archival Informatics.

Our Leadership

Jennifer Head

Congregational Archivist

Portrait of Jennifer Head
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Bio

Jennifer Head serves as Congregational Archivist at the Heritage and Research Center at Saint Mary's College. With thirteen years of experience working with the collections of Catholic women religious, Jennifer serves as the subject matter expert for HARC.

Prior to coming to HARC, Jennifer was the Congregational Archivist for the Sisters of Charity of the Blessed Virgin Mary in Dubuque, Iowa. During that time, she served as a consultant for several other religious congregations. She has been involved with the development of HARC since the "Day of Dreaming" in 2018. She holds a master's degree in Library and Information Science from Dominican University as well as a master's degree in American History from the Catholic University of America.

HARC is a partnership between Saint Mary's College and ten congregations, including:

Sisters of Mercy of the Holy Cross

Sisters of Charity of the Blessed Virgin Mary

Our Lady of Victory Missionary Sisters

Sisters of St. Agnes

Sisters of the Divine Savior

Sisters of the Holy Cross

Servants of Mary

Sisters of the Most Precious Blood

Servants of St. Casimir

Sisters of St. Francis of the Holy Cross

We've also partnered with the National Archives Project for Women Religious (NAPWR) with the goal of linking our collections with similar archival projects.

Help Preserve the Legacy of Women Religious

Women religious have spearheaded change and innovation in communities worldwide. Your support helps carry on their legacy and inspire future generations of advocates and leaders.

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Visitors viewing exhibits together at the Heritage and Research Center