The Catholic Historical Research Center of the Archdiocese of Philadelphia was dedicated in an open house and blessing ceremony led by Auxiliary Bishop Michael Fitzgerald on Thursday, Sept. 21. Commonly known as the Archives, its collection of Catholic historical artifacts and records was moved from its location in the basement of St. Martin’s Chapel at St. Charles Seminary last summer to the newly renovated building that formerly housed Our Lady of Ransom School, 6740 Roosevelt Boulevard in Northeast Philadelphia. Assembled from several collections of documents and artifacts over time, the new Archives now hold papers and effects from the American Catholic Historical Society (founded in 1884), the seminary (founded in 1832), the archdiocese’s records from 1808 and items from the Sisters of the Blessed Sacrament including those of St. Katharine Drexel. Read more about the Archives here. (Photos by Sarah Webb)
Visitors to the Archives, including Bishop Timothy Senior, inspect the historical items on display.
Bishop Michael Fitzgerald blesses the Archives and all those attending its grand opening Sept. 21.
Among other artifacts, the Archives displays some teeth of St. Katharine Drexel.
Banners from Catholic societies and parishes adorn the walls of the Archives’ main hall.
Edward Hilbert Jr. of TE Construction which managed the general contracting of the remodeled Archives building — the former Our Lady of Ransom School — checks out the exhibits in the building.
Archivist Shawn Weldon shows visitors the movable 30-foot long shelving that contains some two centuries of archival documents of the Archdiocese of Philadelphia — with room for growth.
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Do you have any documents on Prince/Priest Demetrius Augustine Gallitzin, “The Apostle of the Alleghenies”, the founder of Loretto, PA, who was a Russian Prince before coming to America in 1792. He was the first priest to receive all of his Holy Orders in America and was ordained by America’s first Bishop John Carroll in 1795. Father Gallitzin was part of the Archdiocese from its founding in 1808 until his death in 1840. His cause for sainthood has been in Rome since 2013. Thank you. Michael Bishop Rieg
Do you have cemetery records from parishes, specifically St Ann, Lehigh and Aramingo? Thank you. Wonderful to see the care taken for these records, artifacts.
Maryanne, generally the records of such things as burials at a parish cemetery are kept at that parish. Since St Anne’s is still an open, functioning parish your best bet might be to start there. While the diocese run cemeteries have been turned over to a private company, I don’t believe the parish run cemeteries have been.
The display of items from the Archives of the Sisters of the Blessed Sacrament includes St. Katharine’s Mass Clock. It has an international date line that indicates when Mass is being offered, at any time of the day or night. St. Katharine could then make a “spiritual Communion” whenever she couldn’t sleep. This reflects her 24/7 Eucharistic spirituality.
The new archives is well organized and constructed.