An estimated 350,000 Catholic women religious (nuns and sisters) professed their vows to various religious orders in the United States between 1790 and 1900. The stories of these women are largely forgotten, hidden in scattered archives, obscured by name changes and frequent relocations, fading from family and community memory with each passing generation. This guide shows you how to identify a woman's religious order and locate its archives, how to find women religious in other kinds of records (censuses, etc.), and much more.

Use this book to discover more about the women who devoted their lives in this unique kind of service. Or use this book to learn more about the students, communities, or other populations associated with the sisters. They made an enormous collective contribution to the nation's humanitarian, educational, and social services infrastructure.