The Catholic Religious Archives (CRA) derives from a summer 2018 conference at Boston College – “Envisioning the Future of Catholic Religious Archives” – at which religious leadership, archivists, and historians confirmed the need for a repository to maintain the records of Catholic religious orders and congregations.
Since that time, with the support of President William P. Leahy, SJ, Boston College has created such a repository, employing a full-time professional staff and providing a modern archival space within the Boston College Theology and Ministry Library building.
In January 2025, Boston College broke ground on a new 44,000 square foot building to hold CRA collections. It is anticipated the building, an exhibit space, and a reading room to welcome researchers, will open in the summer of 2026.
THE PROCESS
For religious orders and congregations interested in depositing their records with CRA, below is a brief overview of the process:
- Contact Us – Please contact us (see below) if you wish to explore the possibility of transferring your organization’s records to CRA. A conversation is not an obligation. We will provide information about the CRA and discuss with you your concerns about the long-term maintenance of your organization’s records.
- Deposit Agreement – If after the initial conversation(s) you would like to consider CRA as a permanent home for your records, we will provide a deposit agreement for your leadership to review and sign.
- Preparation of Records – Once the agreement has been finalized, at your convenience, records will need to be safely packed for transfer, and movers employed to transport the records to CRA. A basic inventory of the materials should also be provided by this time.
- Arrival at CRA – Upon arrival at CRA, all collections are inspected for damage, moved into a secure and environmentally-controlled area, and a temporary record added to our collection catalog until additional processing can be completed.
- Ongoing Care and Access – Our team of professional archivists will process the collection in full: arranging items in a logical order, describing them, placing them in archival-grade housing (boxes, folders, etc.), and writing a detailed collection guide.
The Catholic Religious Archives provides this service at no cost to religious congregations. As part of our mission, we will support leadership by providing ongoing access to records from the time they arrive at CRA.
CONTACT US
If you are interested in depositing materials with the Catholic Religious Archives at Boston College, please contact:
Thomas P. Lester
Director, Catholic Religious Archives
thomas.lester.3@bc.edu or 617-552-6538
Michael J. Burns
Founding Director, Catholic Religious Archives
michael.burns.7@bc.edu or 617 552-8846.