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Provincial and Provincial Leadership

 Series
Identifier: CHJC I.b.

Scope and Contents

The provincial leadership records reflect the changes in the leadership structure. Prior to 1972 the American Province of the Poor Handmaids of Jesus Christ was governed by a Provinicial with a number of assistants, including a Vicaress who acted in the Provincial's absence, a Directress of Schools, a Directress of Hospitals (from 1949), and a Novice Mistress. The 1966 Chapter created a special Advisory Committee to assist the Provincial Council. Subsequently, the Provincial Council made use of other committees in its work.

In 1972 a team approach was instituted in which provincial leadership consisted of a Provincial Team, with a Provincial and two Associate Provincials, and a Provincial Council consisting of the Provincial Team, two Area Coordinators and the Commissioners of newly created Commissions on Education, Health Services, Social Services and Finance. A Christian Life Commission was chaired by one of the Associate Provincials. In 1976 the position of Area Coordinator was eliminated and the Finance Commissioner, who was also the Treasurer, became a non-voting member of the Council.

In 1988 the Commissions were eliminated and the Provincial Team / Council was restructured to include the Provincial and a number of Provincial Councilors. Each Provincial Councilor, as well as the Provincial, is responsible for all the sisters, regardless of apostolate, in a territorially defined Mission Group and also serves as a liaison to a number of the offices, departments and sponsored ministries of the Poor Handmaids. The number of Mission Groups and Provincial Councilors is determined prior to each Provincial Election. The offices, departments and sponsored ministries to which Provincial Councilors serve as liaisons have included the PHJC Ministry Center, Lindenwood, Communications, Formation, Vocations, Associates, Development, Archives, Liturgy, Ancilla College, Ancilla Systems, Earthworks. Two of the Provincial Councilors co-chair a Mission Concerns Committee which advises the Provincial Council. In addition, some of the Provincial Councilors serve on International Committees, which have included the International Government Committee, the International Mission Committee and the International Communications Committee.

The files of the Provincial Superior are located with the central Provincial Office files. Other members of the Provincial Leadership, the Assistant and Associate Provincials, Area Coordinators, Commissioners of the Apostolates, and Provincial Councilors, would keep their own records related to their specific areas of activity. From the pre-Vatican II era, the Archives has files from the Directress of Schools which includes circular letters to school sisters, the assignments of school sisters, and education records of sisters from all apostolates.

From the period from 1972-1988 the Archives has records from two Associate Provincials, Srs. Catherine Herman and Jolise May, one document from Area Coordinator Sr. Agnese Jasko, and files from the various Apostolic Commissions and Commissioners. The documents from the Associate Provincials relate to their extra-ordinary assignments including the organization of the Communications Office and Lindenwood. The Christian Life Commissioner was also an Associate Provincial. The Commission files include minutes of Commission meetings, and mailings, surveys and reports of the Commissions. The files of the Education Commission also include correspondence with schools and parishes and the results of a survey of schools. Many of the Commission files were assembled in the Province Archives and contain much printed material related tot he Commissions.

From the post-1988 period the Archives has files of the Provincial Councilors related to their specific areas of responsibility. These include minutes of Mission Group meetings, and reports and correpondence from the various offices, departments and sponsored ministires for which they act as Provinical Leadership liaison. These files also include material from the extraordinary activity of the Provincial Councilors. The files of Sr. Nora Hahn, for example, include material related to her activity as chairperson of the Catherine Kasper Center and as Poor Handmaids representative to the L. Gilbraith Insurance Corp. and the Ancilla Medical Foundation.

Finally, the Archives has files generated by many of the various committees which have advised the Provincial Council. These include minutes of committee meetings and committee correspondence, mailings, surveys and reports.

Dates

  • Creation: 1847-[ongoing].

Language of Materials

English.

Conditions Governing Access

Restricted by contract.

Genre / Form

Repository Details

Part of the University of Notre Dame Archives Repository

Contact:
607 Hesburgh Library
Notre Dame Indiana 46556 United States
(574) 631-6448