The archive of the Sisters of Charity of New York is an integral part of the corporate operation of the Congregation. The Mount Saint Vincent archives document the history of the Congregation since 1846, when the Community occupied the first Motherhouse at McGown’s Pass, Manhattan. The collections are a resource for researching the broad involvement of the sisters in metropolitan New York, Nassau, Bahamas, and Guatemala, in childcare, health care, education and social work.
The life-long enthusiasm of Sr. Mother Mary Fuller emphasized the importance of the archives during her time as President, 1954-1960. For most of the over 200-year history of the Community, a succession of sisters were appointed as historian archivists, who in addition to their full-time assignments, were responsible for maintaining the historic materials.
The records of the Congregation, its members, and Leadership include documents, photographs, audio-visual materials, oral history interviews, pamphlets, textiles, artwork, and ephemera. In addition to the organizational collection, the archives of St. Vincent’s Hospital, Manhattan (1869-2010), founded by the Sisters of Charity of New York and including the St. Vincent’ Hospital School of Nursing, are held at the archive.
Today, the archive on the Bronx campus is the repository for approximately 600 cubic feet of records. The facility is open for research by appointment, Tuesdays, Wednesdays, and Thursdays. For an application to conduct research, please contact: SCArchives@scny.org for information.
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