State Offices

Catholic Archives of Texas

The archives was established in 1923 by the Texas Knights of Columbus Historical Commission. Its goal of producing a history of Catholicism in Texas culminated in the publishing of the seven-volume work 'Our Catholic Heritage in Texas 1519-1936', authored almost entirely by Carlos Castañeda of the University of Texas at Austin.

The archives for the Catholic Church in Texas were originally located at St. Edward's University in Austin. After a 10-year stay in Amarillo, the collection was returned to Austin by Bishop Louis Reicher in 1959. Since then it has been housed in the chancery office of the Diocese of Austin. In 1985 it was taken under the auspices of the Texas Catholic Conference and its board of directors. The repository is the only archives in the United States servicing one religion for an entire state.

As the Catholic history center in Texas, the archives' mission is to collect, preserve and make available for research those records of individuals and organizations engaged in work reflecting the goals of the Catholic Church in Texas. Especially important is the ongoing relationship and records management system with the Texas Catholic Conference, Texas Knights of Columbus, Texas Catholic Historical Society and its journal, The Journal of Texas Catholic History and Culture. The archives cooperates with the Texas dioceses and with cultural and historical institutions in the area to achieve common goals of historical preservation and interpretation.

Holdings of the Catholic Archives of Texas include records of the Texas Catholic Conference, Texas Knights of Columbus and its historical commission, Texas Catholic Historical Society, religious associations, societies and clubs in the state, private papers of several individuals, personal papers and biographical files of bishops and clergy in Texas, diocesan and parish collections, newspaper and documents concerning religious orders formed or stationed in the state. It also includes more than 9,000 photographs, microfilmed sacramental records, Texana and Catholic books and artifacts related to the history of the Catholic Church in Texas from 1688 -- the beginning of the Spanish mission era -- to the present day.

Contact:
Susan Eason, archivist
PO Box 13124
Austin, Texas 78711-3124
Phone: (512) 476-6296
Fax: (512) 476-3715
Email: cat@onr.com
Website: www.onr.com/user/cat/

Texas Catholic Conference

The Texas Catholic Conference was established by the bishops of Texas in 1963 while gathered in Rome during the Second Vatican Council. Formalized in 1964, the TCC's purpose is to achieve greater unity of mission among the Catholic communities of Texas. The conference is a federation of all Roman Catholic dioceses with see cities located in the state of Texas.

The conference's functions are:

• To facilitate cooperation and shared responsibility among Texas Catholics in furthering the mission of the church;
• To foster communications between the church and other institutions and organizations in Texas and to cooperate with them in regional or statewide programs;
• To provide a method through which representatives of the Catholic community in Texas may actively and responsibly participate in the life of the church;
• To promote unity, justice, peace, mutual understanding and cooperation among the people of God.

The conference holds a General Assembly every other year. Its board of directors, which includes the bishops of Texas, meets twice yearly.

Contact:
1600 North Congress Ave., Suite B
Austin, Texas 78701
Phone: (512) 339-9882
Fax: (512) 339-8670
Website: www.txcatholic.org
Margaret McGettrick, Director
Fax: (512) 339-8670
Education Department: (512) 339-8416

Texas Catholic Historical Society

The Texas Catholic Historical Society was organized during the years that the volumes of 'Our Catholic Heritage in Texas' were released. With the bishops of Texas serving as the board of directors, the society's goal was to preserve historical materials pertaining to the church in Texas.

The organization was revitalized by the Texas Catholic Conference, and membership was offered to any interested individual. The society's objectives are to discover, collect, preserve and publish historical material, especially those that pertain to the Catholic community in Texas. The society meets annually and has a newsletter that appears quarterly. Individuals wishing to become members are encouraged to write for more information.

Contact:
Rev. Bob Wright, President
1600 North Congress Ave., Suite B
Austin, Texas 78701
Phone: (512) 339-9882
Fax: (512) 339-8670