By Elizabeth B. Scott
Title: Southern Missions, 1937-2009
Predominant Dates:1940-1970
Extent: 27.0 Linear Feet
Arrangement: This collection has been arranged into series: I. Campus Ministry. II. Clippings. III. Convocations. IV. Correspondence. V. Financial. VI. Houses. VII. Missions Office. VIII. Parishes. IX. Scrapbooks/Albums. X. Sisters. XI. Southern Missions, Inc. XII. Southern Region. XIII. Spiritual reports. XIV. Sponsored Works. XV. Subjects.
Subjects: Dauphin Island (Ala.), Elizabeth City (N.C.), Mobile (Ala.), Mon Luis (Ala.), Selma (Ala.), Wake Forest (N.C.)
In the 1930’s, after moving their general administrative offices from England to Vermont, the Society of Saint Edmund began to seek ways in which it could meet the call of Pope Pius X’s to serve the “Negro and Indian populations of North America.” In January 1937, Bishop Thomas Toolen of Mobile (AL) invited the Society to “establish a mission among the colored population in Selma.” By July 1937, three Edmundites were serving in Selma. Within a month, they began publishing Your Edmundite Missions Newsletter (now the Edmundite Missions Newsletter) to solicit funds for the new mission.
Over the years, the work of the Edmundites expanded to include:
Work in parishes and schools throughout Alabama, (especially in Selma, Anniston, Gadsden, Mobile and the Gulf Coast), in Elizabeth City and Wake Forest, NC, in Apalachicola FL, in New Orleans, LA and in Caracas, Venezuela. Sponsorship of the Good Samaritan Nursing Home and Good Samaritan Hospital in Selma from the 1940s until their closure in the 1980s The Don Bosco Boys Club Sponsorship of the Good Samaritan School of Practical Nursing, the first school of practical nursing for black students in Alabama. Additionally, the Edmundites have sponsored learning centers, health clinics, nutrition centers, and other social service organizations in Dallas, Wilcox, Monroe, and Lowndes Counties in Alabama, and have maintained parishes and a school in Louisiana. Through the years they worked very closely with many Religious orders of women through the South, including the Sisters of Saint Joseph of Rochester and the Daughters of the Holy Ghost.
The work of the Society in the South included entrusted parishes, sponsored works, campus ministry programs, educational endeavors and a number of chaplaincies. Sponsored works were often run by the society or a women’s religious order affiliated with the society. Much of the funding was through the Edmundite Missions Office, which quickly became an entity distinct from the Southern Missions as a whole, (although the office of Mission Director and Superior was held by the same person in the earliest years). In 1952, the local superior and mission director were held by different men for the first time, with the mission director given responsibility for the work outside of Selma or “the missions.” In 1991, another office was established to oversee the sponsored works of the southern missions, that of Program director. The Mission Director was responsible for raising funds, the Program Director was responsible for administering the works themselves, and the Superior took responsibility for the house, house members, and the work in parishes. An entity known as Fathers of Saint Edmund, Southern Missions, inc. was established in Alabama in1943 as the non-profit corporation.
The Society members were often the only whites regularly engaging with the African American population in their chosen locations. Administering and sponsoring institutions that were a part of the social fabric of the community allowed them to witness events integral to twentieth century America. As the civil rights movement took hold, the Edmundites continued to manage their insitutions while the communities they served radically changed. A few individuals became deeply involved in the movement.
Dauphin Island (Ala.)
Elizabeth City (N.C.)
Mobile (Ala.)
Mon Luis (Ala.)
Selma (Ala.)
Wake Forest (N.C.)
Repository: Saint Michael's College Archives & Special Collections
Acquisition Source: Edmundite Missions Office
Acquisition Method: Transfer
Related Materials:
SSE 6.8 Local Administration/ South
SSE 2 Superior General Record Group
SSE Photograph Collection
Processing Information: This Record Group parallels the Local Administration/South record subgroup. Materials which accumulated in the Generalate offices prior to 2003 make up the Local Administration/South record subgroup. (It does not necessarily include correspondence written directly to the Superior General—those are kept with Superior General correspondence series.) The provenance of that record subgroup is unknown, although it is likely a combination of materials collected in the Generalate and some material transferred from the Southern Missions offices at an earlier time. It is possible that some material is duplicated. For a comprehensive view of the Society’s work in the South it may be necessary to explore all three collections.
Parishes 1939-1999
The Southern Missions encompassed a number of parishes over the years. Parishes were spread throughout the southern region, and most were long established. In a few instances the SSE were tasked by the diocese with establishing new parishes. These are very interesting. Most parishes also kept a chronicle Depending on the chronicler, these can provide great insight into the parish and the priests. Correspondence is also included. Usually this is between the pastor and the mission director or the missions office generally, but also can include other correspondence. For parishes with external missions, sponsored works or school, there is often some information about these as well. Financial records and construction/infrastructure records are also included, although financial records are more usually included in the financial record group. Clippings and history files are also often found.
Box 20
Anniston All Saints Chronicle 1952-1988
Anniston All Saints Chronicle 1939-1952
Anniston All Saints Correspondence 1956-1964
Anniston All Saints Correspondence 1962-1971
Anniston All Saints Correspondence w/ mission dir 1971-1977
Anniston All Saints Correspondence w/ mission dir 1977-1980
Anniston All Saints All saints School “We Believe You Can”
Anniston All Saints Legal Liability Suit 1983
Anniston All Saints Sisters 1981-1988
Anniston All Saints School Chronicle 1977-1986
Anniston All Saints School Financial 1982-1989
Anniston All Saints School Center of Concern 1984-1989
Anniston All Saints School History File
Anniston All Saints School Clippings
Anniston All Saints Construction School 1973-1975
Anniston All Saints School Construction Proposals
Anniston All Saints School Correspondence w/ Mission Director 1958-1988
Anniston All Saints School Financial 1979-1989
Apalachicola, FL Holy Family Clippings
Apalachicola, FL Holy Family Corr. 1956-1964
Apalachicola, FL Holy Family Corr. 1964-1968
Belle Fontaine St. Philip Neri Chronicle 1946-1952
Belle Fontaine St. Philip Neri Clippings
Belle Fontaine St. Philip Neri Construction 1977-1978
Belle Fontaine St. Philip Neri Corr. 1956-1969
Belle Fontaine St. Philip Neri Corr. 1971-1989
Camden, AL St. Joseph’s Correspondence 1971-1979
Camden, AL St. Joseph’s Financial 1978-1981
Camden, AL St. Joseph’s General
Camden, AL St. Joseph’s Sisters 1983-1990
Box 21
Dauphin 1 St. Edmund by the Sea Correspondence 1956-1963
Dauphin 1 St. Edmund by the Sea Correspondence 1964-1970
Dauphin 1 St. Edmund by the Sea Correspondence 1974-1978
Dauphin 1 St. Edmund by the Sea Chronicle 1944-1966
Dauphin 1 St. Edmund by the Sea Financial 1979-1983
Dauphin 1 St. Edmund by the Sea History
Dauphin 1 St. Edmund by the Sea History
Dauphin 1 St. Edmund by the Sea Publicity/Clippings
Dell City, TX St. Isidore’s
E. Selma Mission Chapel
Elizabeth City (Both) Clippings 1940-1967
Elizabeth City Hertford Mission 1953-1966
Elizabeth City St. Catherine’s Chronicle 1940-1957
Elizabeth City St. Catherine’s Chronicle 1975-1980
Elizabeth City St. Catherine’s Correspondence 1948-1953
Elizabeth City St. Catherine’s Correspondence w/ Missions Office 1956-1958
Elizabeth City St. Catherine’s Corr. w/ Missions Dir 1959-1965
Elizabeth City St. Catherine’s Corr. J. Robinson w/Mission Dir July 1965-Jan 1971
Elizabeth City St. Catherine’s Corr. 1970-1975
Elizabeth City St. Elizabeth’s Corr. w/ Mission Dir 1957-1969
Elizabeth City St. Elizabeth’s 1975-1981
Elizabeth City Elizabeth City (Both) 1979-1989
Gadsden, AL Blessed Martin Des Porres Chronicle 1947-1988
Gadsden, AL Blessed Martin Des Porres Clippings
Gadsden, AL Blessed Martin Des Porres Correspondence 1976-1980
Box 22
Gadsden, AL Blessed Martin Des Porres Corr. 1971-1975
Gadsden, AL Blessed Martin Des Porres Financial 1956-1971
Gadsden, AL Blessed Martin Des Porres Financial Corr. 1968-1986
Gadsden, AL Blessed Martin Des Porres History
Gadsden, AL Blessed Martin Des Porres Sisters 1984-1990
Heron Bay St. Michael’s Chronicle 1954-56, 1949-58
Heron Bay St. Michael’s Correspondence 1959-1970
Heron Bay St. Michael’s Correspondence 1971-
Heron Bay St. Michael’s Financial 1982-1991
Mobile Our Lady of Lourdes Chronicle 1940 to 1977
Mobile Our Lady of Lourdes Chronicle 1977-1986
Mobile Our Lady of Lourdes Correspondence w/ Mission Dir 1956-1960
Mobile Our Lady of Lourdes Correspondence w/ Mission Office 1961-1970
Mobile Our Lady of Lourdes Correspondence 12/1970-2/1977
Mobile Our Lady of Lourdes Correspondence w/ Mission Office 1978-1980
Mobile Our Lady of Lourdes General 1978-1989
Mobile Our Lady of Lourdes History
Mobile Our Lady of Lourdes Public Relations
Mobile Our Lady of Lourdes Clippings
Mon Luis St. Rose Chronicle Mar. 1972-1983
Mon Luis St. Rose Clippings
Mon Luis St. Rose Corr. 1956-1970
Mon Luis St. Rose History
Mon Luis St. Rose Reports 1979-1984
Box 23
Mon Luis/Fowl R. Clippings
Mon Luis St. Rose of Lima/St. Margaret Corr. 1970-1974
Mon Luis St. Rose of Lima/St. Margaret Corr. 1974-1980
Mon Luis St. Rose of Lima/St. Margaret Corr. Re: Renovations 1960-1970
Mon Luis St. Rose of Lima/St. Margaret Directory
New Orleans St. Philip the Apostle Newsletter(On the Move) 1990-1991
New Orleans St. Philip the Apostle Newsletter 1991-1992
New Orleans St. Philip the Apostle Newsletter 1992-1993
New Orleans St. Philip the Apostle Sisters’ Apostle
New Orleans St. Philip the Apostle Reports 1986-1992
North Carolina Apostolate General
Roxbury, NC Sts. Mary and Edward Corr. w/ Mission Director 1969-1970
Roxbury, NC Sts. Mary and Edward Corr. 1971-1980
Roxbury, NC Sts. Mary and Edward Corr. w/ Superior 1977-1982
Roxbury, NC Sts. Mary and Edward Clippings
Selma Amalgamation 1947-1999
Selma Amalgamation 1971
Selma Amalgamation Diary 1971
Selma Queen of Peace Correspondence 1971-1980
Selma Queen of Peace Personnel 1983-1984
Selma Queen of Peace Preliminary Info 1971
Selma Queen of Peace School Board Oct. 1975- April 1975
Selma Queen of Peace School Board April-May 1976
Selma Queen of Peace School PTO Minutes 1969-1976
Selma Queen of Peace Clippings
Wake Forest St. Catherine of Siena Chronicle 1962-1978
Wake Forest St. Catherine of Siena Correspondence 1970-1978
Wake Forest St. Catherine of Siena Corr. w/Mission Director 1962-1971
Wake Forest St. Catherine of Siena History
