The Diocesan Archives are officially re-opened for business. Archivist Fr. Chandler Jackson has reorganized a user-friendly space in the Diocesan Office in Kansas City. The rejuvenated area features a practical shelving system, easy-to-access information, and a depository area for incoming archive materials. Let’s take a look back on what the Archive was at the beginning of the summer, and what it is today.
Mr. Chet Neumann and Ms. Katherine Spicer were the first to work on the new archive system. When they first went to work, they found a chaotic jumble of documents, artifacts, and other materials piled high around the Archive. Due to the many-year gap between archivists, there was no system of organization, management, or record-keeping to be found, so our new Archivists started from the ground up. As you can see, they had a lot of work ahead of them.
By mid-June, the organization process was well underway. All the materials were moved into their new categories, which include: Bishops, Property, Publications, and many more. The Archivists sorted through every box, removing items that were irrelevant to the Archive and putting other materials into new storage. The area looked just as chaotic as when the Archivists began, but they were definitely making progress.
The new and improved Diocesan Archive is clean, accessible, and in its proper place. In addition to working with the physical records, Ms. Spicer created the first part of the ongoing Archive Catalogue, producing the first archival category, Parishes and Missions. This catalogue is used to discover just what is hiding in the accounts of our diocese’s churches, past and present.
Today, Fr. Chandler Jackson oversees and maintains the Archives. If there is something you need looked up, please contact Fr. Chandler.
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