The Carondelet Consolidated Archives of the Sisters of the St. Joseph of Carondelet preserves and shares the history, spirit and memory of the congregation. The purpose of the archives is to identify, collect, arrange, preserve and make available to qualified researchers official and non-current administrative records and other historical materials relating to the governance, ministries and members of the congregation.
Are you looking for information for a particular sister? Please visit our Find A Sister page to request information.
Beyond capturing the institutional memory of the congregation, the Carondelet Consolidated Archives offers unique perspectives on both ecclesiastical and secular history.
Our archives play an important role in preserving the history of women. The archives provide historical narratives for women who lived outside of the domestic sphere as well as document the hidden labor and influence of women religious in the Catholic Church. Materials in our archives also illuminate the development of social institutions, such as schools and hospitals, that were founded and managed by our sisters. Our archives also provide context for the lives of those who are often excluded from standard histories, including records on immigrants, the elderly and communities of color in areas where our sisters ministered and continue to minister today.
History of the Carondelet Consolidated Archives
In 2018, our congregation, along with the congregational and province archivists, consolidated their archives into one physical location. Prior to that, each province and vice province maintained their own separate collections.
Though the conversation about consolidation began in 1994, the 2013 Congregational Chapter called the sisters to deepen communion and act in new ways as one congregation. This call strengthened the desire to consolidate, and the final decision was made in the spring of 2017.
The archives of the congregational offices moved first to the St. Louis Province archives building at the Carondelet Motherhouse in 2017. After renovating another space in the archives building into a cold room, the congregation brought in the Albany, Los Angeles and Hawai`i archives in August 2018. Each collection is housed under one roof but stored separately.
The St. Paul Province did not transfer its archives to the Carondelet Consolidated Archives, as their holdings contain locally rich information better suited to remain physically available in St. Paul. You can find out more about the St. Paul Province Archives on their website.
Featured collection
Sisters of Selma: Bearing Witness for Change
The Sisters of Selma: Bearing Witness for Change is a powerful documentary created by Jayasri Majumdar Hart, which aired on PBS in 2007. The film and accompanying archives collection offers a unique perspective of the historic 1965 marches by focusing on the courageous Catholic nuns who participated alongside Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. and other civil rights activists. Watch the documentary and explore the digital collection at our Sisters of Selma website.
Click a category below to expand the list.
- Sisters of Selma: Bearing Witness for Change
The Sisters of Selma: Bearing Witness for Change is a powerful documentary created by Jayasri Majumdar Hart, which aired on PBS in 2007. The film and accompanying archives collection offers a unique perspective of the historic 1965 marches by focusing on the courageous Catholic nuns who participated alongside Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. and other civil rights activists. Watch the documentary and explore the digital collection at our Sisters of Selma website. - United States Federation of the Sisters of Saint Joseph
The U.S. Federation of the Sisters of Saint Joseph is a dynamic union of all the Sisters of Saint Joseph of the United States who claim a common origin in the foundation at Le Puy, France in 1650. All archival materials relating to the federation are now housed at the Carondelet Consolidated Archives. Explore the digital archive of the U.S. Federation of the Sisters of Saint Joseph here. - Carondelet Consolidated Archives Digital Collections
Visit our Internet Archive site to view a selection of our digital collections, including history books and publications. Note: our digital collections database is not an inclusive representation of the entire archive. View our digital collections on Archive.com - The College of Saint Rose
Founded by the Sisters of St. Joseph of Carondelet in 1920, The College of Saint Rose in Albany, New York educated students for over 100 years. When the college closed in 2024, all archives materials relevant to the sisters were transferred to the Carondelet Consolidated Archives.
Visiting the archives
The Carondelet Consolidated Archives are located in St. Louis, Missouri, on the grounds of the St. Louis Province Motherhouse at 6400 Minnesota Avenue, St. Louis, MO 63111.
On-site research is available by appointment only, Monday through Friday.
Please note that we are a fragrance-free facility. Please refrain from using perfume, cologne, fragranced laundry detergents, dryer sheets or any other kind of fragranced personal care products (e.g. lotion, deodorant and hair care products) on the day of your visit. A fragrance-free space increases accessibility and supports the inclusion of those with allergies or sensitivities to fragrances and/or chemicals.
To schedule an appointment, please review our Access Policy and submit a user agreement.
Remote research
For requests where the researcher is not able to visit the archives in person to conduct their research, archives staff will make every effort to perform due diligence in researching the topic on their behalf, as time permits, but usually within two weeks.
Archives staff will spend no more than one hour conducting research on behalf of another person, and there is a limit on the number of copies or scans they can make. For more involved and time-consuming requests, researchers will be notified that they should consider scheduling a future visit to thoroughly browse through any relevant collections in person.
To request access to materials, please review our Access Policy and submit a user agreement.
Finding aid
You can browse our collections by province or subject via our Carondelet Consolidated Archives Finding Aid. Note: our finding aid is not an inclusive representation of the entire archive.
To easily search a PDF document, use Ctrl+F to bring up a search field.
Digital collections
Visit our Internet Archive site to view a selection of our digital collections, including history books and publications. Note: our digital collections database is not an inclusive representation of the entire archive.
Access policy
To schedule an appointment at the Carondelet Consolidated Archives or to request access to materials, please read our Access Policy and User Agreement for Researchers, or contact the director at (314) 678-0320 or archivist@csjcarondelet.org.
Permission to publish policy
If you would like to use reproductions of items from the Carondelet Consolidated Archives for commercial or personal publication in either electronic or paper format, please contact the archivist, who will follow up with you for more information. When ready, please fill out the Permission to Publish form.
Rights statement
The images featured on this webpage, as well as all webpages of the Sisters of St. Joseph of Carondelet, come from congregational and provincial holdings. To the best of our knowledge, there are no copyright restrictions associated with these images because they are either in the public domain or the copyright is owned by the Sisters of St. Joseph of Carondelet.
These images are intended for private use, and we in no way assume liability for any other use of these images. These images must not be altered or manipulated in any way or used for commercial purposes without the express permission of the Sisters of St. Joseph of Carondelet or the Carondelet Consolidated Archives. When permission is granted, proper credit must be given as follows:
Image courtesy of the Sisters of St. Joseph of Carondelet — [Name of] Province collection, Carondelet Consolidated Archives.
Digital collections takedown policy
The Carondelet Consolidated Archives seeks to ensure that it has appropriate rights to provide access to content through our online digital collections. Parties who have questions or concerns about any of our content available online may direct them to the director of the Carondelet Consolidated Archives using our contact form. We will carefully evaluate and respond to each inquiry.
- St. Paul Province Archives
Our St. Paul Province did not transfer its archives to the Carondelet Consolidated Archives, as their holdings contain locally rich information better suited to remain physically available in St. Paul. Learn more about the St. Paul Province Archives on their website. - Avila University Archives & Research Center
Founded by the Sisters of St. Joseph of Carondelet in 1916, Avila University in Kansas City, Missouri hosts the Martha Smith, CSJ, Ph.D. Archives & Research Center. The center collects, preserves and makes accessible the permanent records of the university, as well as rare and unique collections that support the university’s administration, teaching, research and service. Learn more at their website. - Mount Saint Mary’s University Archives
Mount Saint Mary’s University in Los Angeles, California was founded by the Sisters of St. Joseph of Carondelet in 1925. MSMU’s University Archives collects, preserves and provides access to documents and artifacts which contribute to the official memory of Mount Saint Mary’s University. Learn more at their website. - Mount Saint Mary’s University — CSJ Institute
Through programs, resources and research, the CSJ Institute at Mount Saint Mary’s University seeks to promote research efforts that highlight the achievements of our sister-scholars as well as advance our commitment to issues of social justice. Learn more about The CSJ Institute’s resources and research at their website. - St. Catherine University Archives
St. Catherine University in St. Paul, Minnesota was founded in 1905 by the Sisters of St. Joseph of Carondelet. The university archives collect, preserve and provide access to documents pertaining to the history of St. Catherine University, including its early years as both a high school and college. Learn more at their website.
If you would like to deed a gift to the Carondelet Consolidated Archives, please contact the archivist, who will follow up with you for more information. When ready, please fill out the Deed of Gift form.
