The Sisters of the Holy Cross and other members of HARC's Council of Partners participate in the groundbreaking event.
Congregations of women religious have supported and grown our nation for nearly two centuries. Soon, the stories and histories of thousands of women religious will be available to researchers and the curious at a new archives on the campus of Saint Mary’s.
On July 26, 2024, a groundbreaking ceremony was held for the new Heritage and Research Center (HARC) in Notre Dame, Indiana. When completed, the new 12,000-square-foot facility will house the archives of at least nine women’s congregations, highlighting their lives and countless contributions to society. The mission of HARC “…is to preserve and honor the rich histories of women religious and their sponsored ministries through partnership and collaboration of congregations of women religious… .”
HARC’s Council of Partners and their impact
HARC aims to showcase the impact of women religious from various congregations who founded and expanded institutions of education, health care and public outreach, laying the groundwork for development in these fields across the United States. Along with these efforts, HARC—a state of the art research facility—will showcase sisters’ models of leadership and organization as well as their approaches to community development and advancing social justice all in one place.
Council of Partners
Current participating congregations are located throughout the midwest and include:
Ladysmith Servite Sisters
(Sister Servants of Mary)
Ladysmith, Wisconsin
Our Lady of Victory Missionary Sisters Huntington, Indiana
Sisters of Charity
of the Blessed Virgin Mary
Dubuque, Iowa
Sisters of Mercy of the Holy Cross
Merrill, Wisconsin
Sisters of Saint Agnes
Fond du Lac, Wisconsin
Sisters of St. Francis of the Holy Cross
Green Bay, Wisconsin
Sisters of St. Casimir
Chicago, Illinois
Sisters of the Holy Cross
Notre Dame, Indiana
Sisters of the Most Precious Blood
O’Fallon, Missouri
Empowering research and reflection
HARC’s location at Saint Mary’s campus makes research on women religious accessible not only to those at the Sisters of the Holy Cross motherhouse, but researchers in the tri-campus community. The three Holy Cross institutions of Saint Mary’s College, University of Notre Dame and Holy Cross College will all have incredible access to the rich resources of all participating congregations. HARC will feature storytelling, artifact exhibits, archival preservation and digitization. Learning rooms, dialogue sessions and classes will also share the lives and histories of women religious.
A digital rendering of the future Heritage and Research Center (HARC) at Saint Mary’s campus. The new building includes a climate controlled vault to protect the archives of the participating congregations.
“We are excited about this collaboration that will deepen and advance the continued research and stories of women religious who have brought so much to the communities in which they served,” says Holy Cross Sister Suzanne Brennan, general councilor and treasurer of the Congregation.
Together, these resources can elevate awareness of the work of Catholic sisters, past and present, and, hopefully, inspire future leaders, women religious, and the public to act on behalf of people who are underrepresented the world over.