The Catholic Religious Archives (CRA) derives from “Envisioning the Future of Catholic Religious Archives,” a 2018 conference hosted by Boston College at which archivists, historians, and religious leadership confirmed the need for a repository to maintain the records of Catholic religious congregations.
With the support of President William P. Leahy, SJ, and under the leadership of Founding Director Michael J. Burns, Boston College created such a repository and accepted its first collection in 2019.
The CRA is staffed by a team of full-time professional archivists and has its own modern archival storage and work spaces within the Boston College Theology and Ministry Library building.
As an embodiment of its commitment to stewarding the records of Catholic religious congregations, in January 2025 Boston College broke ground on a new 44,000 square foot modern archival facility which will provide 100,000 linear feet of environmentally-controlled storage space exclusively for CRA collections. It is anticipated that the new facility, a reading room, an exhibit space, and a 100-seat auditorium, will be open in summer 2026.
The CRA actively accepts the archival materials of both male and female religious congregations and is a member of the National Archives Project for Women Religious (NAPWR).