There were a lot of BVM smiles at HARC’s ribbon cutting ceremony on the campus of St. Mary’s College, including Vice President Kathy Kandefer (l.), Treasurer Alan Stache, Archivist Anne Kelly, Vice President Amy Golm, HARC Lead Archivist JA Pryse, President LaDonna Manternach, and Congregational Secretary Cari Simpson.
In a moment marked by gratitude, memory, and hope, the ribbon was cut on the Heritage and Research Center (HARC) at St. Mary’s College in Notre Dame, Ind., on Tuesday, May 26.
HARC will house the archives of 10 women religious congregations, including Sisters of Charity of the Blessed Virgin Mary.
The ribbon cutting was the official inauguration of a space dedicated not only to preserving the past but to animating it for the future. The opening of HARC represents far more than the unveiling of a building—it is the culmination of a shared vision that includes faith, collaboration, and a deep reverence for the experience of religious life.
“This is a graced moment,” says Regina Qualls, BVM, who also serves on HARC’s governing board. “We celebrate what began with a dream and is now a reality.”
Alan Stache, treasurer of the Sisters of Charity, BVM, also serves on the board, along with Jennifer Head, former BVM archivist who is now the congregational archivist for HARC.
The board will grow as additional archives are installed, drawing on wisdom and stewardship of multiple congregations.
BVM Archivist Anne Kelly (l.) and former BVM Archivist Jennifer Head. Jennifer is now the congregational archivist for HARC.
Preserving Stories, Igniting Futures
At its core, HARC is about the sharing of history, of culture, and of identity. The archives housed within its walls tell stories of education, charity, migration, ministry, and mission. They document the traditions that shaped women religious communities and the innovations that carried them forward.
HARC is not simply a repository. It is a living center for research and teaching designed to bring archives to life in new ways. Scholars, students, and members of religious congregations will find both a resource where they can research history and tradition, and a catalyst that will spark new projects.
The records and artifacts preserved at HARC bear witness to the determination, joy, tears, and celebrations of religious life.
A Ritual of Light
The ribbon-cutting ceremony reflected a spirit of continuity and community. During the event, congregational leaders lit a candle on behalf of her congregation, a symbolic act that honored both distinct identities and shared purpose.
In her prayer, BVM President LaDonna Manternach invoked the origins of the Sisters of Charity of the Blessed Virgin Mary, recalling the courage and vision of its earliest members: Foundress Mary Frances Clarke, Margaret Mann, Rose O’Toole, Eliza Kelly, and Catherine Byrne.
“Faithful and loving God,” she prays, “We remember those who walked those early days together. There was a time of dreams and purpose. We are grateful to those who inspired our dreaming and have brought us to this purposeful moment through a collaboration of ideas and shared finances.”
From Loss to Legacy
The importance of preserving history is underscored by an episode from the congregation’s early years.
In May 1845, a devastating fire destroyed the first Motherhouse on the Prairie south of Dubuque, consuming not only buildings but also the written records of the community’s first decade in Philadelphia.
Eliza Kelly, the community’s annalist, had carefully chronicled those formative years—and in a single morning, they were lost forever.
That loss left a lasting imprint. Mother Clarke resisted efforts to reconstruct the early history—“If all that happened in those early days were written, no one would believe it.”
With a piece of Helen Kerrigan, BVM’s artwork in the background, Archivist Anne Kelly (l.)
and former Archivist Jennifer Head tour HARC. Jennifer is now HARC’s congregational archivist.
The absence of those original records deepened the congregation’s later commitment to remembering and documenting their history. In time, the Sisters ensured that their grace-filled history, as complex and challenging as it could be, would be preserved.
A chair belonging to Mary Frances Clarke has a new home at HARC, along with artwork by Helen Kerrigan, BVM.
A Living Archive
The opening of HARC can be understood, at least in part, as a response to that early loss. Where once history went up in smoke, it is now carefully preserved and made accessible. Where once stories were at risk of being forgotten, they are now safeguarded and shared.
But HARC’s mission extends beyond preservation. It will also engage contemporary audiences in meaningful encounters with history. Through exhibitions, digital initiatives, and collaborative projects, HARC will interpret archival materials in ways that will resonate with today’s young students and researchers.
In doing so, it hopes to create a distinct vision that honors the past and remains attentive to the present and future.
A Continuing Journey
The ribbon-cutting ceremony marked an ending and a beginning—the realization of a long-held dream and the start of a new phase of engagement.
As candles were lit and prayers offered, the significance of the occasion became clear. HARC stands as a testament to what can be accomplished through shared vision and collaboration. It will be a place where memories are not only preserved but put into action, becoming resources for today and inspiration for tomorrow.
“…we trust that the energy You began years ago will go on ahead of us to inspire generations of those yet to be born,” says LaDonna in her prayer.
With the opening of HARC, the trust, hope, and partnership of 10 women religious congregations has found a home.
Editor’s Note: HARC will be the archival home for the following congregations : Sisters of Mercy of the Holy Cross, Sisters of Charity of the Blessed Virgin Mary, Our Lady of Victory Missionary Sisters, Congregation of St. Agnes, Sisters of the Divine Scholar, Sister of the Holy Cross, Servants of Mary, Sisters of the Most Precious Blood, Sisters of St. Casimir, and Sister of St. Frances of the Holy Cross.
Watch the HARC Ribbon Cutting Ceremony
Learn more about HARC: harcsm.org
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