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WASHINGTON (September 24, 1998)--An online directory of Catholic archives nationwide will be available on the Internet when The United States Catholic Historical Society (USCHS) launches the U.S. Catholic Documentary Archive on the World Wide Web, September 30.
The directory will be available on the Web at www.uschs.com. It will include names, addresses and a summary description of what is available in each archival collection listed in the directory.
The U.S. Catholic Historical Society began the project under the directon of Brian Butler, M.D., the president and chairman of the board, and the society's Archival Committee, comprised of leading Catholic archivists from around the nation.
Catholic Online, headed by Michael Galloway, has provided Website development and its Internet connection.
The Archival Committee outlined several potential uses for the Website. They include providing information for people researching family history, students doing school projects, researchers studying the Catholic Church's contribution from local to worldwide scale and Church leaders analyzing past efforts as they make future plans.
The USCHS is seeking funds for continuation of the three-phase project and was awarded $35,000 from the U.S. Bishops Catholic Communication Campaign to assist in funding Phase II, providing a further detailed summary of each collection.
The aim of the project is to provide an online guide to primary sources documenting the history of Catholicism in the United States. In its first stage, the project will provide an online directory of standardized summary information about participating Catholic repositories, including dioceses and religious orders.
Phases II and III will include more detailed information and scanned images and documents from these collections.
The project is being developed in conjunction with major Catholic archival organizations, including the Association of Catholic Diocesan Archivists, the Archivists of Congregations of Women Religious, as well as Catholic colleges and universities.
Direction for the project is being provided by a committee of archivists, including Joseph Coen, archivist of the Diocese of Brooklyn, N.Y.; Kathleen Signor, Vice-Chancellor of Archives of the Diocese of Harrisburg, Pennsylvania; John Treanor, Vice Chancellor for Records & Archives, Archdiocese of Chicago; Sister of Charity Rita King, archivist of the Sisters of Charity of New York; Timothy Meagher, Archivist and Museum Curator, The Catholic University of America; and Timothy Walch, Director of the Hoover Presidential Library.