1.3 Correspondence, Circular Letters, 1759-1942

Sub-Series

Scope and Contents

This subseries consists of circular letters sent by the Provincial to the members of the Maryland Province, and spans the years 1759 to 1942. From 1759 through 1884, the circular letters are bound in three copy books; loose printed letters span the years 1881 through 1942. These letters, which were intended for wide distribution among members, variously convey directives from the Superior General, the Pope, and Archdiocesan leadership; clarify the rules of the Society related to Jesuit formation, vows, community life, missions, and schools; discuss fundraising for missions and the roles of sodalities; and contain announcements of appointments of Provincial leadership. Most often these letters were written and signed by the Provincial himself, but in some cases the Provincial reproduced letters from the Superior General as circulars to the Province membership. Additional subjects of interest include the employment of women as domestic servants in Jesuit communities; the presence of non-Catholics and women in Jesuit colleges and preparatory schools; and the need to raise financial assistance for foreign missions in India, the Philippines, and the Caribbean.

**Please note: the finding aid contains Scope and Contents notes for each folder. This folder-level description has been imported from an older finding aid. Researchers may encounter outdated or potentially offensive terminology and occasional inaccuracies. If you would like to notify Special Collections of any issues that need correcting, please contact us.**

Provenance and Arrangement

The material in this subseries is comprised of both circular letters sent in the Province’s initial deposit in 1977, as well as addenda materials deposited at a later date. Materials are arranged chronologically. All materials dated 1940 and later are restricted.

Conditions Governing Access

Most materials dated 1900 and later have not been digitized. Materials dating 1900-1939 are available for research use at the Booth Family Center for Special Collections. All materials dated 1940 and later are restricted.

Dates

1759-1942

Conditions Governing Access

The Maryland Province Archives is on deposit at Georgetown University and is the property of the USA East Province of the Society of Jesus. As stewards of the Archives, the Georgetown University Library’s Booth Family Center for Special Collections is responsible for managing access to the material based on policies set forth by the USA East Province. Researchers may view these materials in the Reading Room of the Booth Family Center for Special Collections. General policies for using Special Collections can be found here.

Access to the Archives is governed by the USA East Province and is subject to all Library and Special Collections policies and procedures in addition to the specific guidelines below. These guidelines are a summary of access policies; the Archives may include materials that fall outside the scope of these general guidelines. For information on access to specific materials, please contact the Special Collections staff.

Guidelines:

1. All Archives materials dated or bearing solely on events occurring before January 1, 1940, shall be open for review unless otherwise restricted, subject to Library policies and procedures.

2. All unpublished Archives materials dated or bearing solely on events occurring on or after January 1, 1940, shall be open for review upon request subject to a decision by the Provincial or someone designated by the Provincial.

3. Researchers may quote from the materials.

4. Researchers may take their own photographs of the material for scholarly and research purposes. Allowing photographs is not an authorization to publish or to deposit the material in another library or archive.

5. Written permission from the USA East Province is required for the publication of substantive portions of any material or publication-quality reproductions of any material.

6. Material not yet processed is not available to researchers; permission will not be granted to access any unprocessed material.

7. Audiovisual, microfilm and other material in the Archives, the original of which is held in another archive, may be consulted and transcribed only. Written permission from the archive holding the original material is required for any duplication, reproduction, or publication of that material.

8. Use the Permission Request Form to request permission (i) to access any restricted processed material or (ii) to publish reproductions or quote substantive portions of the material. Send the completed form by email to the Booth Family Center for Special Collections (speccoll@georgetown.edu).

Extent

From the Collection: 308 boxes (212 regular boxes, 25 oversized boxes, 58 restricted regular boxes, 13 restricted oversized boxes, plus 14 card catalog drawers )