By Jennifer Halloran
Collection Overview
Title: Mission Diaries, 1912-1968
ID: MSA/04/MS0001
Primary Creator: Maryknoll Sisters (1912-)
Extent: 93.0 Boxes
Arrangement: Arranged alphabetically by world section, then alphabetically by country and finally alphabetically by city. There are two additional series at the end: Diary Digests and En Route Diaries.
Subjects: Advertising— Religious aspects—Catholic Church, Africa, African Americans—Missions, Agriculture, Arizona, Asia, Aymara People—Missions, Banks and banking, Cooperative, Basic Christian Communities/Small Christian Communities, Bolivia, Brothers (Religious) , California, Catechetics—Catholic Church, Catholic Church—United States, Celebrations, Central America, Chile, China, Chinese Americans—Missions, Christian education, Church work with orphans, Communism and Christianity, Connecticut, Diaries, Dominican sisters, Education, elementary, Education, higher, Education, preschool, Education, secondary, Evangelistic work—Catholic Church, Events, Fund raising, Guatemala, Hakka (Chinese People)—Missions, Hawaii, History, Hong Kong, Human rights, Hunger, Illinois, Imprisonment, India, Japan, Japanese Americans—Evacuation and relocation, 1942-1945, Japanese Americans—Missions, Korea, Korean War, 1950-1953, Latin America, Latinx Americans—Missions, Liberation theology, Macau, Manchuria, Martyrdom—Christianity, Massachusetts, Mauritius, Medical care, Mexico, Micronesia—Caroline Islands, Micronesia—Marshall Islands, Missionaries, Missouri, Native Americans—Missions, Natural disasters, New Mexico, New York, Nicaragua, Novitiate, Nuns, Nursing, Panama, Pennsylvania, Persecution, Peru, Philippines, Polytheism, Poverty, Priests, Prisoner-of-war camps, Refugees, Religious education, Social justice, Social service, South Carolina, Sri Lanka, Taiwan, Tanzania, Texas, Thailand, United States, Vocational education, Washington, Washington DC, World War, 1939-1945
Languages: English
Scope and Contents of the Materials
This collection is housed in 93 Hollinger boxes and is divided into 7 series with material ranging in date from 1912 to 1968. Series 1 through 5 represent areas of the world in which the Maryknoll Sisters were missioned. They are: Series 1, Africa; Series 2, Asia; Series 3, Central and Latin America; Series 4, Central Pacific; and Series 5, USA. Each series is divided into subseries by country. Series 1 has 2 subseries; Series 2 has 17 subseries; Series 3 has 7 subseries; Series 4 has 4 subseries; and Series 5 has 11 subseries. The contents of each subseries of Series 1 through 5 are arranged alphabetically by city. Series 6, Diary Digests, includes the shortened or “digest” versions of diaries from around the world, which were written as a way to succinctly wrap-up the events of the year past. Series 7, En Route Diaries, are diaries written by the Sisters as they travelled from Maryknoll to their new mission locations after their departures.
Collection Historical Note
Mary Louise Wholean, a member of the original group of 'Secretaries,' began keeping a diary in 1912 only four months after the women began living together in Hawthorne. She kept it faithfully until 1916, just previous to her death in 1917. Diaries, daily accounts of the Sisters' community life and ministries, were kept in every house of Maryknoll Sisters until 1968. From around 1958 for the next ten years, a digest version of what had happened during the previous year was written at the end of the year.
In the early years, diaries were used extensively in the Field Afar and later in the Maryknoll magazines. Information from the diaries was also used by those in the Propaganda Office, and later the Communications Office, to write articles and mission stories for publication. Diaries also provided material for those on Promotion to prepare their talks and programs. Until the mid 60s, diaries were read every morning in the dining room while the Sisters had their breakfast.
Subject/Index Terms
Administrative Information
Repository:
Maryknoll Mission Archives
Access Restrictions:
This collection is open for research.
Processing Information:
December 2019: The “Original” Diaries collection was added to this collection in December 2019, so all diaries were together. The “original” diaries that were wrapped in paper were transferred to book boxes and put in Hollinger boxes with the rest of the collection.
In the New York series are the diaries for the Motherhouse in Ossining. One will find the original handwritten diary along with a number of copies. It is unclear when these copies were made and if they are a direct transcription of the original. For the sake of ease of use, these copies will be labeled A, B, etc to differentiate one from another.
In the Pennsylvania series one will find original Venard diaries for the years 1919-1922 and 1926-1934 and along with various copies. It is unclear when these copies were made and if they are a direct transcription of the original. For the sake of ease of use, these copies will be labeled A and B to differentiate one from another.
The collection has incorporated the MSA Diary Digests collection and the MSA En Route Travel Diaries and Letters collection. Some records that were created after the Sisters arrived in the mission country were removed and filed in the regional collections.
Box and Folder Listing
Browse by Series:
[
Series 1: Africa],
[
Series 2: Asia],
[
Series 3: Central and Latin America],
[
Series 4: Central Pacific],
[Series 5: USA],
[
Series 6: Diary Digests],
[
Series 7: En Route Diaries],
[
All]
- Series 5: USA
- Sub-Series 1: Arizona
- Box 57
- Folder 1: Tucson - Blessed Martin de Porres Convent, Aug. 1952-July 1957
- Sub-Series 2: California
- Box 57
- Folder 2: Guadalupe - Maryknoll Convent, 1942-1947
- Folder 3: Guadalupe - Maryknoll Convent, June 1948-1951
- Folder 4: Guadalupe - Maryknoll Convent, 1952-1956
- Folder 5: Guadalupe - Maryknoll Convent, 1957-June 1967
- Folder 6: Los Altos, 1927-1929
- Copy
- Folder 7: Los Altos, 1930-1935
- Copy
- Folder 8: Los Altos, 1936-1939
- Copy
- Box 86
- Folder 2: Los Altos, 1927-1931
- Original
- Folder 3: Los Altos, 1932-1934
- Original
- Folder 4: Los Altos, 1935-1937
- Original
- Folder 5: Los Altos, 1938-1941
- Original
- Folder 6: Los Altos, 1942-1944
- Original
- Folder 7: Los Altos, 1945-1947
- Original
- Folder 8: Los Altos, 1948-1951
- Original
- Folder 9: Los Altos, 1952-1955
- Original
- Folder 1: Monrovia, 1956-1966
- Original
- Box 58
- Folder 1: Los Altos, 1940-1945
- Copy
- Folder 2: Los Altos, 1946-1949
- Copy
- Folder 3: Los Altos, 1950-1955
- Copy
- Folder 4: Los Altos, 1956-1963
- Copy
- Folder 5: Los Angeles, 1921-1922
- Copy
- Folder 6: Los Angeles, 1923-1924
- Copy
- Folder 7: Los Angeles, 1926
- Copy
- Box 87
- Folder 1: Los Altos, 1956-1963
- Original
- Box 83
- Folder 3: Los Angeles - Notes
- Folder 4: Los Angeles, 1921-1922
- Original
- Folder 5: Los Angeles, 1923-1924
- Original
- Folder 6: Los Angeles, 1925-1926
- Original
- Folder 7: Los Angeles, 1927-1929
- Original
- Folder 8: Los Angeles, 1930-1932
- Original
- Folder 9: Los Angeles, 1933-1935
- Original
- Box 59
- Folder 1: Los Angeles, 1927-1929
- Copy
- Folder 2: Los Angeles, 1930-1932
- Copy
- Folder 3: Los Angeles, 1933-1935
- Copy
- Folder 4: Los Angeles, 1936-1939
- Copy
- Folder 5: Los Angeles, 1940-1942
- Copy
- Folder 6: Los Angeles, 1943-1946
- Copy
- Folder 7: Los Angeles, 1947-1949
- Copy
- Folder 8: Los Angeles, 1950-1952
- Copy
- Folder 9: Los Angeles, 1953-1955
- Copy
- Folder 10: Los Angeles, 1956-1958
- Copy
- Folder 11: Los Angeles, 1959-1967
- Copy
- Box 84
- Folder 1: Los Angeles, 1936-1939
- Original
- Folder 2: Los Angeles, 1940-1942
- Original
- Folder 3: Los Angeles, 1943-1946
- Original
- Folder 4: Los Angeles, 1947-1949
- Original
- Folder 5: Los Angeles, 1950-1952
- Original
- Folder 6: Los Angeles, 1953-1955
- Original
- Box 85
- Folder 1: Los Angeles, 1956-1958
- Original
- Folder 2: Los Angeles, 1959-1967
- Original
- Folder 3: Monrovia, 1930-1932
- Original
- Folder 4: Monrovia, 1933-1935
- Original
- Folder 5: Monrovia, 1936-1938
- Original
- Folder 6: Monrovia, 1939-1941
- Original
- Folder 7: Monrovia, 1942-1944
- Original
- Folder 8: Monrovia, 1945-1948
- Original
- Folder 9: Monrovia, 1949-1952
- Original
- Folder 10: Monrovia, 1953-1955
- Original
- Box 60
- Folder 1: Monrovia, 1930-1935
- Copy
- Folder 2: Monrovia, 1936-1939
- Copy
- Folder 3: Monrovia, 1940-1944
- Copy
- Folder 4: Monrovia, 1945-1948
- Copy
- Folder 5: Monrovia, 1949-1952
- Copy
- Folder 6: Monrovia, 1953-1966
- Copy
- Box 61
- Folder 1: San Francisco, 1950-1953
- Folder 2: San Francisco, 1954-1966
- Folder 3: San Juan Bautista, 1938-1939
- Folder 4: San Juan Bautista, 1940-1945
- Folder 5: San Juan Bautista, 1946-1949
- Folder 6: San Juan Bautista, 1950
- Box 62
- Folder 1: San Juan Capistrano, 1944-1946
- Folder 2: San Juan Capistrano, 1950-1955
- Folder 3: San Juan Capistrano, 1956-1963, 1965-1966
- Folder 4: Stockton, 1945-1949
- Folder 5: Stockton, 1950-1953
- Folder 6: Stockton, 1954-1956
- Folder 7: Stockton, 1957 - May 1959
- Box 63
- Folder 1: Stockton, June 1959-June 1965
- Sub-Series 3: Connecticut
- Box 74
- Folder 2: Waterbury, 1994
- Sub-Series 4: District of Columbia
- Box 63
- Folder 2: House of Studies, Sept. 1929-Aug. 1932
- Copy
- Box 87
- Folder 2: House of Studies, 1926-1928
- Original
- Folder 3: House of Studies, 1929-1930
- Original
- Folder 4: House of Studies, 1931-1932
- Original
- Sub-Series 5: Illinois
- Box 63
- Folder 3: Chicago - Chinatown, Dec. 1953-1955
- Folder 4: Chicago - Chinatown, 1956-1957
- Folder 5: Chicago - Chinatown, 1958-1966
- Folder 6: Chicago - Rosary House Convent, 1949-1951
- Folder 7: Chicago - Rosary House Convent, 1952-1953
- Folder 8: Chicago - Rosary House Convent, 1954-1956
- Folder 9: Chicago - Rosary House Convent, 1957-1965
- Sub-Series 6: Massachusetts
- Box 64
- Folder 1: Boston - Chinatown, 1946-1947
- Folder 2: Boston - Chinatown, 1948-1949
- Folder 3: Boston - Chinatown, 1950-1951
- Folder 4: Boston - Chinatown, 1952-1953
- Folder 5: Boston - Chinatown, 1954-1955
- Folder 6: Boston - Chinatown, 1956-1957
- Folder 7: Boston - Chinatown, 1958-1964
- Box 65
- Folder 1: Topsfield - Ladycrest Novitiate
- Copy
- Box 87
- Folder 5: Topsfield - Ladycrest Novitiate, 1953-1956
- Original
- Folder 6: Topsfield - Ladycrest Novitiate, 1957-1966
- Original
- Sub-Series 7: Missouri
- Box 65
- Folder 2: Kansas City - Queen of the World Hospital, 1954-1956
- Folder 3: Kansas City - Queen of the World Hospital, 1957-1964
- Folder 4: St. Louis - St. Ann's Convent, 1951-1954
- Folder 5: St. Louis - St. Ann's Convent, 1955-1961, 1967-1968
- Folder 6: St. Louis - St. Bernadette's Convent, 1942-1943
- Folder 7: St. Louis - St. Bernadette's Convent, 1944-1945
- Folder 8: St. Louis - St. Bernadette's Convent, 1946-1948
- Box 66
- Folder 1: St. Louis - St. Bernard's Convent, 1953-1955
- Folder 2: St. Louis - St. Bernard's Convent, 1956-1961
- Folder 3: Valley Park - Our Lady of Maryknoll Novitiate, 1947-1949
- Folder 4: Valley Park - Our Lady of Maryknoll Novitiate, 1950-1951
- Folder 5: Valley Park - Our Lady of Maryknoll Novitiate, 1952-1953
- Folder 6: Valley Park - Our Lady of Maryknoll Novitiate, 1954-1955
- Box 67
- Folder 1: Valley Park - Our Lady of Maryknoll Novitiate, 1956-1957
- Folder 2: Valley Park - Our Lady of Maryknoll Novitiate, 1958-1966
- Sub-Series 8: New York
- In this series are the diaries for the Motherhouse in Ossining. One will find the original handwritten diary along with a number of copies. It is unclear when these copies were made and if they are a direct transcription of the original. For the sake of ease of use, these copies will be labeled A, B, etc to differentiate one from another. | The Motherhouse diaries for the years 1912-1916 are also known as the Teresian Diaries.
- Box 67
- Folder 3: Bronx - St. Anthony of Padua Convent, 1944-1949
- Folder 4: Bronx - St. Anthony of Padua Convent, 1950-1955
- Folder 5: Bronx - St. Anthony of Padua Convent, 1956-1964
- Folder 6: Harmon-on-Hudson - Crichton House, 1948-1951
- Copy
- Box 87
- Folder 7: Harmon-on-Hudson - Crichton House, 1948-1949
- Original
- Folder 8: Harmon-on-Hudson - Crichton House, 1950-1951
- Original
- Folder 9: Harmon-on-Hudson - Crichton House, 1952-1954
- Original
- Box 68
- Folder 1: Harmon-on-Hudson - Crichton House, 1952-1957
- Copy
- Folder 2: New York - Chinatown -- Transfiguration Convent, 1945-1947
- Folder 3: New York - Chinatown -- Transfiguration Convent, 1948-1951
- Folder 4: New York - Chinatown -- Transfiguration Convent, 1952-1954
- Folder 5: New York - Chinatown -- Transfiguration Convent, 1955-1956
- Folder 6: New York - Chinatown -- Transfiguration Convent, 1957-1958
- Folder 7: New York - Chinatown -- Transfiguration Convent, 1960-1964
- Folder 8: Ossining - Bethany, 1931-1937
- Copy
- Folder 9: Ossining - Bethany, 1940-1945
- Copy
- Box 88
- Folder 1: Harmon-on-Hudson - Crichton House, 1955-1957
- Original
- Box 93
- Folder 6: Newburgh - Novitiate, 1987, 1990
- Box 81
- Folder 11: Ossining - Bethany, 1931-1933
- Original
- Folder 1: Ossining - Motherhouse, 1944
- Original
- Folder 2: Ossining - Motherhouse, 1945
- Original
- Folder 3: Ossining - Motherhouse, 1946
- Original
- Folder 4: Ossining - Motherhouse, 1947
- Original
- Folder 5: Ossining - Motherhouse, 1948
- Original
- Folder 6: Ossining - Motherhouse, 1949
- Original
- Folder 7: Ossining - Motherhouse, 1950
- Original
- Folder 8: Ossining - Motherhouse, 1951
- Original
- Folder 9: Ossining - St. Teresa's Convent, 1957
- Original
- Folder 10: Ossining - St. Teresa's Convent, 1958-1965
- Original
- Box 82
- Folder 1: Ossining - Bethany, 1934-1936
- Original
- Folder 2: Ossining - Bethany, 1937-1943
- Original
- Folder 3: Ossining - Bethany, 1944-1946
- Original
- Folder 4: Ossining - Bethany, 1947-1949
- Original
- Folder 5: Ossining - Bethany, 1950-1952
- Original
- Folder 6: Ossining - Bethany, 1953-1955
- Original
- Folder 7: Ossining - Bethany, 1955-1967
- Original
- Box 69
- Folder 1: Ossining - Bethany, 1946-1949
- Copy
- Folder 2: Ossining - Bethany, 1950-1955
- Copy
- Folder 3: Ossining - Bethany, 1956-1967
- Copy
- Folder 4: Ossining - Motherhouse, 1912
- Copy A
- Folder 5: Ossining - Motherhouse, 1913
- Copy A
- Folder 6: Ossining - Motherhouse, 1914
- Copy A
- Folder 7: Ossining - Motherhouse, 1915
- Copy
- Folder 8: Ossining - Motherhouse, 1916
- Copy
- Folder 9: Ossining - Motherhouse, March-Dec. 1917
- Copy
- Folder 10: Ossining - Motherhouse, Aug.-Dec. 1918
- Copy
- Folder 11: Ossining - Motherhouse, 1919
- Copy
- Box 74
- Folder 3: Ossining - Motherhouse, 1912
- Copy B
- Folder 4: Ossining - Motherhouse, 1912-1/1/1913
- Original
- Folder 5: Ossining - Motherhouse, 1913
- Copy B
- Folder 6: Ossining - Motherhouse, 1913-1/1/1914
- Original
- Folder 7: Ossining - Motherhouse, 1914
- Copy B
- Box 75
- Folder 1: Ossining - Motherhouse, 1914-1/1/1915
- Original
- Folder 2: Ossining - Motherhouse, 1915-1/1/1916
- Original
- Folder 3: Ossining - Motherhouse, 1916
- Original
- Box 76
- Folder 1: Ossining - Motherhouse, March-Dec. 1917
- Original
- Folder 2: Ossining - Motherhouse, Aug.-Dec. 1918
- Original
- Box 77
- Folder 1: Ossining - Motherhouse, 1919
- Original
- Folder 2: Ossining - Motherhouse, 1920
- Original
- Folder 3: Ossining - Motherhouse, 1921
- Original (re-typed)
- Box 70
- Folder 1: Ossining - Motherhouse, 1920
- Copy
- Folder 2: Ossining - Motherhouse, 1921
- Copy
- Folder 3: Ossining - Motherhouse, 1922
- Copy
- Folder 4: Ossining - Motherhouse, 1923
- Copy
- Folder 5: Ossining - Motherhouse, 1924
- Copy
- Folder 6: Ossining - Motherhouse, 1925
- Copy
- Folder 7: Ossining - Motherhouse, 1926
- Copy
- Folder 8: Ossining - Motherhouse, 1927
- Copy
- Folder 9: Ossining - Motherhouse, 1928
- Copy
- Folder 10: Ossining - Motherhouse, 1929
- Copy
- Folder 11: Ossining - Motherhouse, 1930
- Copy
- Folder 12: Ossining - Motherhouse, 1931
- Copy
- Box 78
- Folder 1: Ossining - Motherhouse, 1922
- Original (re-typed)
- Folder 2: Ossining - Motherhouse, 1923
- Original (re-typed)
- Folder 3: Ossining - Motherhouse, 1924
- Original (re-typed)
- Box 79
- Folder 1: Ossining - Motherhouse, 1925
- Original (re-typed)
- Folder 2: Ossining - Motherhouse, 1926
- Original (re-typed)
- Folder 3
- Item 1: Ossining - Motherhouse, 1927
- Original (re-typed)
- Item 2: Ossining - Motherhouse, 1928
- Original (re-typed)
- Item 3: Ossining - Motherhouse, 1929
- Original (re-typed)
- Box 80
- Folder 1: Ossining - Motherhouse, 1930
- Original
- Folder 2: Ossining - Motherhouse, 1931
- Original
- Folder 3: Ossining - Motherhouse, 1932
- Original
- Folder 4: Ossining - Motherhouse, 1933
- Original
- Folder 5: Ossining - Motherhouse, 1934
- Original
- Folder 6: Ossining - Motherhouse, 1935
- Original
- Folder 7: Ossining - Motherhouse, 1936
- Original
- Folder 8: Ossining - Motherhouse, 1937
- Original
- Folder 9: Ossining - Motherhouse, 1938
- Original
- Folder 10: Ossining - Motherhouse, 1939
- Original
- Folder 11: Ossining - Motherhouse, 1940
- Original
- Folder 12: Ossining - Motherhouse, 1941
- Original
- Folder 13: Ossining - Motherhouse, 1942
- Original
- Folder 14: Ossining - Motherhouse, 1943
- Original
- Box 71
- Folder 1: Ossining - Motherhouse, 1932
- Copy
- Folder 2: Ossining - Motherhouse, 1933
- Copy
- Folder 3: Ossining - Motherhouse, 1934-1935
- Copy
- Folder 4: Ossining - Motherhouse, 1936-1938
- Copy
- Folder 5: Ossining - Motherhouse, 1939-1941
- Copy
- Folder 6: Ossining - Motherhouse, 1942-1944
- Copy
- Folder 7: Ossining - Motherhouse, 1945-1947
- Copy
- Folder 8: Ossining - Motherhouse, 1948-1949
- Copy
- Folder 9: Ossining - Motherhouse, 1950-1951
- Copy
- Folder 10: Ossining - Motherhouse, 1952
- Folder 11: Ossining - St. Teresa's Convent, 1957-1965
- Copy
- Sub-Series 9: Pennsylvania
- In this series one will find original Venard diaries for the years 1919-1922 and 1926-1934 and along with various copies. It is unclear when these copies were made and if they are a direct transcription of the original. For the sake of ease of use, these copies will be labeled A and B to differentiate one from another.
- Box 71
- Folder 12: Clarks Summit - Venard, 1919-1922
- Copy A
- Folder 13: Clarks Summit - Venard, 1926-1928
- Copy A
- Folder 14: Clarks Summit - Venard, 1929-1931
- Copy A
- Folder 15: Clarks Summit - Venard, 1932-1934
- Copy A
- Folder 16: Clarks Summit - Venard, 1935-1937
- Copy
- Box 88
- Folder 2: Clarks Summit - Venard, 1919-1922
- Copy B
- Folder 3: Clarks Summit - Venard, 1919-1922
- Original
- Folder 4: Clarks Summit - Venard, 1926-1928
- Copy B
- Folder 5: Clarks Summit - Venard, 1926-1934
- Original
- Folder 6: Clarks Summit - Venard, 1929-1931
- Copy B
- Folder 7: Clarks Summit - Venard, 1932-1934
- Copy B
- Folder 8: Clarks Summit - Venard, 1935-1937
- Original
- Folder 9: Clarks Summit - Venard, 1938-1940
- Original
- Folder 10: Clarks Summit - Venard, 1941-1943
- Original
- Folder 11: Clarks Summit - Venard, 1944-1948
- Original
- Folder 12: Clarks Summit - Venard, 1949-1951
- Original
- Box 72
- Folder 1: Clarks Summit - Venard, 1938-1940
- Copy
- Folder 2: Clarks Summit - Venard, 1941-1943
- Copy
- Folder 3: Clarks Summit - Venard, 1944-1948
- Copy
- Folder 4: Clarks Summit - Venard, 1949-1951
- Copy
- Folder 5: Clarks Summit - Venard, 1952-1954
- Copy
- Box 89
- Folder 1: Clarks Summit - Venard, 1952-1953
- Original
- Sub-Series 10: South Carolina
- Box 72
- Folder 6: Walterboro Convent, 1955-1964
- Copy
- Box 89
- Folder 2: Walterboro Convent, 1955-1956
- Original
- Folder 3: Walterboro Convent, 1957-1965
- Original
- Sub-Series 11: Texas
- Box 72
- Folder 7: Houston, Sept. 1953-May 1961; Aug. 1965-Jan. 1966
- Sub-Series 12: Washington
- Box 72
- Folder 8: Seattle, 1921-1929
- Folder 9: Seattle, 1931-1939
- Box 73
- Folder 1: Seattle, 1940-1949
- Folder 2: Seattle, 1950-Aug. 1953
- Folder 3: Seattle, 1921-1929
- Folder 4: Seattle, 1931-1935
- Folder 5: Seattle, 1936-1939
- Folder 6: Seattle, 1940-1945
- Folder 7: Seattle, 1946-1949
- Box 74
- Folder 1: Seattle, 1950-1953
- Sub-Series 13: New Mexico
- Box 93
- Folder 7: Manuelito Mission, 1985-1987
- Folder 8: Manuelito Mission - Clinic Log, 1985-1988
Browse by Series:
[
Series 1: Africa],
[
Series 2: Asia],
[
Series 3: Central and Latin America],
[
Series 4: Central Pacific],
[Series 5: USA],
[
Series 6: Diary Digests],
[
Series 7: En Route Diaries],
[
All]