Catholic Charities Collection Collection 015
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Guide to the Catholic Charities Collection Collection 015 Guide to the Catholic Charities Collection Archives of the Archdiocese of New York Collection 015 Archives of the Archdiocese of New York St. Joseph’s Seminary 201 Seminary Avenue Yonkers, NY 10704 [email protected] 914-968-3200 x.8365 1 Last updated 3.16.2017 Guide to the Catholic Charities Collection Collection 015 Summary Information ____________________________________________________________________________ Creator: Catholic Charities, Archdiocese of New York Title: Catholic Charities Collection Date: 1835 – 2007 Extent: 28.72 Linear Feet (in 10 Hollinger boxes, 1 Half Hollinger box, 6 Paige boxes, and 11 oversize boxes) Language: English Access Restrictions: Collection is open to researchers at the Archives of the Archdiocese of New York. Archives policy states that material is closed to researchers until 50 years after creation, so some series/folders may not be available. Contact the Archives for specific information. Advance appointments are required for the use of archival materials. Preferred Citation: Published citations should take the following form: Identification of item, date (if known); Catholic Charities Collection, Collection 015; box number, folder number. Archives of the Archdiocese of New York, St. Joseph’s Seminary, Dunwoodie. Location of Related Materials: Two books were removed from the collection and placed in the stacks: Russell Sage Foundation, 1907 – 1946: A History in Two Volumes, John M. Glenn, Lilian Brandt, and F. Emerson Andrews, New York: Russell Sage Foundation, 1947 and The Charities of New York, Brooklyn, and Staten Island, Henry J. Cammann and Hugh N. Camp, New York: Hurd and Houghton, 1868. Books related to the work of charitable institutions in the Archdiocese of New York can be found in the Archives’ library. Additionally, photographs of various Catholic Charities Institutions may be found in the Prints & Photographs Collection (Collection 019). Further information about the Charities Investigation (Series 11) may be found in the John Cardinal Farley Collection (Collection 005) as well as the Patrick Cardinal Hayes Collection (Collection 006). Catholic Charities published an annual report. Bound copies of the reports from 1920 – 2007 are located In the Archives’ library, along with copies of the Catholic Charities Bulletin from 1920 – 1952. Also in the library are bound copies of the Mount Loretto Messenger from 1928 – 1936. 2 Last updated 3.16.2017 Guide to the Catholic Charities Collection Collection 015 Administrative/Historical Note ____________________________________________________________________________ The Catholic Charities organization as it exists today was established by Patrick Cardinal Hayes in 1920. Prior to that, there were over 200 Catholic health and welfare agencies in the New York Archdiocese, all operating independently from one another. The first “Catholic Charity” was established in New York City by the Catholic Benevolent League in response to the large numbers of children left orphans as a result of the War of 1812. The Benevolent League set up the Roman Catholic Orphan Asylum, the oldest of the Catholic Charity agencies, to oversee the care of these children. Throughout the nineteenth century, the number of social welfare organizations affiliated with the Catholic Church in some way continued to grow, particularly in response to the problems that came along with the increasing population size and urbanization of New York City. Because there were no governmental social services offered throughout much of the nineteenth century and part of the twentieth, religious and other charitable institutions stepped in to fill in this gap. However, as more and more people were served in some way by a charitable social organizations, complaints about corruption and disorganization also began to rise, particularly around the turn of the twentieth century. In 1916, New York State, in response to accusations of neglect and mismanagement of funds, organized a commission under the guidance of Commissioner Strong to investigate the City’s charitable organizations. The commission held public hearings and undertook an in-depth investigation into all institutions. As a result of this investigation, Cardinal Hayes appointed Msgr. Keegan to survey existing Catholic welfare organizations in 1919 to ensure that they were being run properly. Keegan found that there were many Catholic-affiliated agencies, all working separately, many with overlapping services. A lack of funds on the part of each individual organization prevented expansion. These issues led the Archdiocese to establish a central agency to assist with management and provision of services, today’s Catholic Charities. The first Catholic Charities Appeal was in 1920, to establish a base of funds to draw from in establishing this new umbrella organization. This helped to focus the work and mission of the affiliated agencies, as well as centralize much of the bureaucracy associated with running and maintaining the properties and staff of these institutions. However, as more and more governmental agencies took on the oversight of social welfare throughout the twentieth century, the scope and mission of many of the Catholic Charities institutions changed. Despite this, Catholic Charities and its institutions remain active, and continue to offer important services to the people of the Archdiocese of New York today. 3 Last updated 3.16.2017 Guide to the Catholic Charities Collection Collection 015 Scope & Content Note ____________________________________________________________________________ This collection consists of material created by or for Catholic Charities of the Archdiocese of New York, as well as the organizations and agencies that operate under the Catholic Charities umbrella. The material in the collection varies greatly, from legal documents relating to the creation and organization of various agencies; to meeting minutes and correspondence related to the operation of both Catholic Charities and its member agencies; to newspaper clippings, secondary source materials, and other documents outlining the history of Catholic Charities and various agencies. Many of the documents relate to the set up and administration of Catholic Charities, as well as the dismantling of various institutions throughout the years. Also included are legal files and other documents relating to the 1916 Charities Investigation by New York State. The scrapbooks in Series 9 contain a variety of material, including photographs and newspaper clippings. Much of the material in Series 11: Catholic Charities History Files was gathered by a historian named Frederick Paulman in the early 1990s in his attempt to build a comprehensive history of charitable organizations in the New York area. While the material in the collection as a whole spans almost two centuries, there is no real consistency in records and other documentation. The bulk of the administrative records held in the Archives date from the 1960s through the 1980s. Series 12: Financial Reports consists of reports submitted by the institution or religious order in charge of the institution to the Chancery office of the Archdiocese of New York. These are different than reports generated by the institution themselves for purposes of reporting to a board of directors or state office. Some of these reports contain historical information about the institution. Arrangement ____________________________________________________________________________ The collection is arranged in 11 series: Series 1: Correspondence & Documents; Series 2: Publications & Reports; Series 3: Department of Child Care; Series 4: Department of Social Development; Series 5: Public Policy Committee; Series 6: Departments & Services; Series 7: Charitable Institutions; Series 8: Charities Investigation of New York State; Series 9: Scrapbooks; Series 10: Newspaper Clippings & Secondary Source Publications; Series 11: Catholic Charities History Files; Series 12: Financial Reports. As much as possible, the material in each of the series has been arranged chronologically. 2 series are further divided into sub-series: Series 7: Charitable Institutions and Series 8: Charities Investigation of New York State. The sub-series in Series 7 are arranged alphabetically by institution name, and then the material within each sub-series is arranged chronologically. Both the sub-series of Series 8 and the material contained within each sub- series are arranged chronologically. 4 Last updated 3.16.2017 Guide to the Catholic Charities Collection Collection 015 The arrangement for the entire collection was imposed during processing, as the original order of the material had become impossible to discern. As much as possible, the arrangement attempted to respect the office of origin/creator of the material. Administrative Information ____________________________________________________________________________ Access and Use: The collection is open to researchers. Archives policy states that material is closed to researchers until 50 years after creation, so some series/folders may not be available. Contact the Archives for specific information. Advance appointments are required for the use of archival materials. Reproduction and Use: Permission to reproduce any material in this collection not in the public domain must be obtained from the Archives and the copyright holder. Language: English Preferred Citation: Published citations should take the following form: Identification of item,