Sisters as City Builders: Archiving Global Histories in Local Perspectives

The St. Louis Catholic Archives Collective (SCAC) presents: “Sisters as City Builders: Archiving Global Histories in Local Perspectives.”

On May 10, the Center for Research on Global Catholicism (CRGC) at Saint Louis University will host a free public event, “Sisters as City Builders: Archiving Global Histories in Local Perspectives.” This event will explore the vital, yet often overlooked, contributions of Catholic sisters to the cultural, economic, and political landscapes of St. Louis and beyond. The event will take place from 10:00 AM to 1:00 PM in the Père Marquette Gallery, DuBourg Hall, on the SLU campus.
The day’s programming will include a public talk by Dr. Elodie Giraudier, a tour of the St. Louis Catholic Archives Collective (SCAC) digital exhibits, a hands-on archives research lab, and a scholar meet-and-greet reception. Free lunch will be provided, and the event is open to all interested in St. Louis Catholic history.

Catholic sisters have long played a crucial role in shaping St. Louis, not just through their work in education and healthcare, but also in the way they served diverse, often marginalized populations. This event offers a chance to explore their rich legacies through their archives and learn how these women helped lay the foundation for many of the social institutions that are still central to the city today.

Despite their significant influence, the women who founded and managed many of the city’s key institutions – such as schools, hospitals, orphanages, and asylums – are often left out of traditional historical narratives. By focusing on the global and local histories of women religious, we can begin to understand how their networks transcended geographical and social barriers. The archives that document their activities offer us a lens through which we can see how these women shaped not only Catholic history, but the broader social landscape in ways that often remain invisible in traditional historical narratives of American and women’s history.

This event will focus on how the archives of women religious reveal the often-overlooked contributions of these sisters, not just to Catholicism, but to the broader social and cultural fabric of St. Louis, the United States, and the world.

Through hands-on engagement with local archives, attendees will gain a better understanding of how they can begin researching these histories for themselves – and why these stories of women religious are deeply relevant to understanding the development of their own communities today.

Schedule
10:00am – 10:30am: Introductions & Digital exhibit tour
10:30am – 11:00am: Public talk by Dr. Elodie Giraudier
11:15am – 12:00pm: Research lab
12:00pm – 1:00pm: Scholar meet-and-greet reception

When: May 10, 10:00 AM – 1:00 PM
Where: Père Marquette Gallery, DuBourg Hall, Saint Louis University
Address: 221 N Grand Blvd, St. Louis, MO 63101
Cost: FREE, lunch provided
Join us for this exciting opportunity to explore the rich archival history of Catholic sisters in St. Louis and their global legacy.

REGISTER HERE: https://stlouiscatholicarchivescollective.com/event/sisters-as-city-builders/

ZOOM option available: https://slu.zoom.us/j/91858985749?pwd=J3DBH6AZOj1mdDqobCnXb4X74J1Hm9.1