Mount Carmel Archives

Welcome to the Mount Carmel Archives! Our collection includes over 1,000 linear feet of materials about the life, mission, ministry, and charism of the Sisters of Charity of the Blessed Virgin Mary from the 1830s to the present.

We document the lives of more than 4,000 sisters and over 200 missions in 21 states and several foreign countries through letters, reports, meeting minutes, books, photographs, audiovisual materials, sheet music, and artwork. Our collection also includes information about the tragic fire at Our Lady of the Angels school in Chicago on Dec. 1, 1958, that resulted in the deaths of three BVM sisters and 92 students (view finding aid).

We welcome researchers from a variety of backgrounds and are happy to work with you to locate information relevant to your needs. Research topics have included changes in the American Catholic Church after Vatican II, the history of education in Iowa, and Catholic sisters teaching in the segregated South.

We enjoy hearing from former students and genealogists, as they can often add to the archival record of a school or sister. To request information use the research request form. Research appointments are available weekdays between 9 a.m. and 3:30 p.m.