Chapters
Living Conversations
with the Sisters
A quarterly oral history & community outreach series
What Is Chapters?
Chapters brings the stories of Catholic women religious into the open through informal, welcoming gatherings that feel like sitting down for coffee with a living piece of history.
Coffee Klatch Format
Informal, welcoming gatherings held quarterly — modeled on the tradition of shared conversation over coffee. Warm, personal, and intentionally unhurried.
Open Conversation
Sisters or guest contributors speak freely about their vocational journeys, missions, and lived experiences. No scripts, no rehearsal — just authentic dialogue.
Free & Open to All
No registration, no fee. Designed to draw the public, campus visitors, students, and curious neighbors alike into the heart of HARC's mission.
How a Chapter Unfolds
Each session follows a thoughtful arc from warm arrival through open dialogue to archival preservation, ensuring every story is both heard and kept.
Who Chapters Is For
From scholars and students to heritage travelers and partner institutions, Chapters invites every community that intersects with the legacy of Catholic women religious.
Scholars
Researchers in theology, history, gender studies, and social sciences gain direct access to living primary sources.
Students & Campus Community
Immersive, unscripted oral history that no textbook can replicate. Built-in community engaged learning.
Local & Regional Public
Free, welcoming events positioned as cultural programming for the South Bend/Notre Dame corridor.
Heritage Travelers
Visitors drawn by the religious heritage landscape of Notre Dame will find Chapters listed in local cultural guides.
Congregation Communities
Family members, former students, and mission supporters reconnect with the sisters' legacy and HARC's work.
Partner Institutions
Cross-promotion with libraries, diocesan archives, and women's studies programs nationwide.
Every Conversation Becomes a Collection
Each Chapters session isn't just an event — it's the birth of a primary source, preserved with full archival rigor.
- Full audio/video capture of each session recorded to HARC standards
- Transcribed and indexed with speaker metadata and subject tags
- Integrated into ArchivesSpace finding aids for each congregation
- Searchable through the NAPWR unified discovery portal
- Openly accessible with appropriate preservation packaging
- Subjects retain dignity, consent, and review rights throughout
Grant Funding Pathway
What Chapters Means for HARC
Beyond storytelling, Chapters is a strategic investment in HARC's visibility, collections, and long-term institutional standing.
Public Visibility
Establishes HARC as an active, living presence in the broader community — not just a research repository but a cultural anchor.
Campus Integration
Builds structured relationships with SMC and Notre Dame faculty, embedding HARC into research and teaching at both institutions.
Collection Growth
Every event generates primary-source oral history recordings that directly enrich the holdings of all ten HARC congregations.
Grant Leverage
A documented, active outreach program strengthens every future grant application by demonstrating public impact and community engagement.
Regional Tourism
Positions HARC as a destination in local cultural itineraries alongside Notre Dame's storied institutions — attracting heritage travelers.
Institutional Momentum
A flagship public program in HARC's first years sets an energetic tone, building donor interest, volunteer engagement, and media coverage.
Year One Roadmap
A clear, phased path from pilot planning through grant submission — designed to build evidence and momentum at every stage.
- Select inaugural sister speaker
- Define recording protocol
- Design marketing for faculty
- Host Session 1 at HARC
- Record & process oral history
- Gather audience feedback
- Establish quarterly calendar
- Build campus partnerships
- Draft grant narrative
- Submit NHPRC/NEH applications
- Expand speaker roster
- Regional press & tourism outreach
Let's Start
the Conversation.
The sisters have stories. Let's make sure those stories are heard — and preserved.
A Quarterly Oral History & Outreach Program
Heritage and Research Center · Saint Mary's College, Notre Dame, Indiana