About ACWR

Mission & Vision

Archivists for Congregations of Women Religious (ACWR) is a professional organized dedicated to achieving the following objectives:

ACWR’s mission is to assist lay and religious archivists and archive-adjacent professionals in the management and preservation of the historical record of Catholic sisters and nuns in the United States and worldwide.

ACWR’s vision is to:

- - Build and sustain a community of professional practice through collaboration, engagement, and educational opportunities;
  - Advocate for the protection and accessibility of the historical records of women religious; and
  - Promote the rich contributions of Catholic sisters and nuns to the broader historical narrative.

Sisters of St. Francis of Philadelphia

Alexis Jimenez and Sr. Helen unrolling a photo to flatten and prepare it for long term storage.

Our History

Sisters of the Precious Blood

Sr. Mary Petronella Schroeder conducts a chemistry experiment with her class at Regina High School, Norwood, Ohio, in 1956.

Archivists for Congregations of Women Religious (ACWR) emerged from discussions held at the Society of American Archivists (SAA) conference in 1989, which identified the need for a professional organization for archivists of congregations of Catholic Sisters. With seed money from the Leadership Conference of Women Religious (LCWR), Sister Rosalie McQuaide, CSJP led a task force to establish the organization and its structure, and its first officers were elected in 1992.

Incorporated in 1993, ACWR now represents over 135 religious communities and nearly 200 members. It promotes professional development, networking, and support for archivists, leaders, historians, researchers, and related professionals interested in women religious history and records. ACWR offers webinars, a listserv, a mentoring program, educational resources, a triennial conference, and consultant support to preserve and transform archives.

Board Members 2025-2026

Sarah Lubelski

President

Lead Archivist, Women Religious Archives Collaborative
Cleveland, Ohio

Sarah Aisenbrey

President Elect, Vice President

Archivist, Sisters of the Precious Blood
Dayton, Ohio

Michele Levandoski

Past President

Director, School Sisters of Notre Dame North American Archives
Milwaukee, Wisconsin

Scott Keefer

Treasurer

Provincial Archivist, Daughters of Charity Provincial Archives
Emmitsburg, Maryland

Sister Virginia Jung, OSB

Secretary

Archivist, Benedictine Sisters of Chicago
Chicago, Illinois

Sister Susan Durkin, OSU

Sister Leadership Advisor

Executive Director, Women Religious Archives Collaborative
Cleveland, Ohio

Sister Grace Marie Del Priore, CSSF

Sister Archivist Advisor

Archivist, Felician Sisters of North America, Our Lady of Hope Provincial Archives
Livonia, Michigan

Veronica Buchanan

ACWR Executive Secretary

Archivist, Sisters of Charity of Cincinnati
Cincinnati, Ohio

Contact the Board

Committee Chairs

Sarah Cantor

Mentoring Committee

Director of Archives, Sisters of the Holy Names of Jesus and Mary, Holy Names Heritage Center
Oswego, Oregon

Kathleen Washy

Nominations and Election Committee

Archivist, Sisters of St. Joseph of Baden
Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania

Marissa Ortosky-Dorantes

Publications Committee

Archivist, Sisters of Charity of St. Augustine
Richfield, Ohio

Amanda Gesiorski

Education Committee

Archivist, St. Louis Visitation Archives
St. Louis, Missouri

Interested in Joining a Committee?

Strategic Plan

Strategic Priority 1:

Address the threats to the historical records of women religious resulting from community closures, mergers, and changing demographics.

- - Engage with religious leaders, scholars, university, diocesan archivists, family and local historians, and allied professionals in conversation around the value of women religious archives and the necessity of future planning for their archives.
    - - Build partnerships with organizations such as the Leadership Conference for Women Religious (LCWR); Communicators of Women Religious (CWR); Council of Major Superiors of Women Religious (CMSWR); Resource Center for Religious Institute (RCRI); and other organizations as identified.
  - Provide ongoing educational programs and website resources for archivists and religious leaders preparing archives for transition.
  - Continue to promote and utilize existing programs, such as the mentoring program, the Religious Archives in Transition Toolkit, Consultant Directory, and other educational programs.
  - Find funding to fulfill the above.

Strategic Priority 2:

Promote the importance of Catholic women religious in the larger American story.

- - Build partnerships with organizations such as the American Catholic Historical Association (ACHA); Conference on the History of Women Religious (CHWR); National Women’s History Museum; and other organizations as identified.
  - Create educational programs, webinars, and website resources that promote the importance of Catholic women religious in American history, with a focus on collections that highlight social justice collections and collections of Indigenous peoples, people of color, the poor and vulnerable, and immigrants. This may include a virtual museum of Catholic women religious, podcast, travelling exhibit, educational materials for women’s history/studies programs, etc.

Strategic Plan 3:

Encourage increased accessibility of women religious collections.

- - Build partnership with the National Archives Project for Women Religious (NAPWR) and existing collaborative archives initiatives.
  - Continue updating, improving, and promoting the ACWR Women Religious Resource Directory.
  - Create a list of women religious archives in the United States with websites. Include information about where collections are moving and when.
  - Update the website to reflect these changes and refresh ACWR branding.