Analyzing the Past, Imagining the Future

July 28, 2016

By Emily Siegel

Emily Siegel, the archives assistant for the American Province and a graduate of Rosemont College, reflects on her experience at a national conference on preserving the histories of women religious.

Emily's photo from RC blog

The last week of June 2016 I had the fabulous opportunity to attend 10th Triennial Conference on the History of Women Religious at Santa Clara University in California through my work as the Archives Assistant for the Society of the Holy Child Jesus, American Province.

The conference’s theme “Whither Women Religious: Analyzing the Past, Studying the Present, Imagining the Future,” welcomed academics and independent scholars drawn from a range of fields who delivered papers exploring how past studies on the history of women religious shape current debate and theorized how they may affect the future. The spectrum of presenters and topics offered an immersive education on various aspects of religious life throughout American history.

It was an incredible experience to hear the rich scholarship on this typically marginalized group. I am so grateful to the SHCJ for encouraging me to better understand the missions and work of our own Sisters in comparison to the other Orders of Sisters in North America. I look forward to making sure the histories of Sisters of the Holy Child are projected into the future and never erased.



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