Stories of our past are often windows on our future. It helps to know our roots. Many of the Vincentian Family branches dedicate time and energy curating their archives.

The Daughters of Charity of the Province of St. Louise(USA) want to make their resources accessible to all of us for our edification. Made available first on the web, and now on Facebook and Twitter, it’s a treasure trove of experiences, stories and photographs. Their social media feeds feature interesting insights drawn from the archival materials. They are the family stories of our past that inform our future. Just recently in January, they featured material about their connection with Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr.

The Daughter of Charity Constitutions and Statutes states: “The Archives establish a link with the past and contribute to maintaining the continuity of the spirit of the Company. Their preservation is to be assured at all levels: local, Provincial, and General.” The Archives of the Province of St. Louise contributes to this mission by preserving records of enduring value, promoting the lives and work of the founders—St. Vincent de Paul, St. Louise de Marillac, and St. Elizabeth Ann Seton—and promoting the Community’s works, past and present.

The Provincial Archives combines the collections of four former U.S. Daughters of Charity Provinces: Albany, New York; Emmitsburg, Maryland; Evansville, Indiana; and St. Louis, Missouri. In January 2013, the Provincial Archives opened to the public in a new facility located at historic St. Joseph House in Emmitsburg, Maryland. The facility includes a state-of-the art repository to house the collections, two exhibit galleries which host an ongoing exhibits program, and a reading room for researchers.

They invite you to visit their social media sites for more stories from our past, and to learn about their wide variety of collections and programs. If your family branch has an archive that is accessible to the public through social media, let us know and we’ll feature it here.