History
Originally part of the Maryland province, New England became a separate Jesuit province in 1926 and included six New England states: Maine, New Hampshire, Vermont, Massachusetts, Rhode Island, and Connecticut.
At the time of its formation, the New England province consisted of 492 Jesuits. It continued to grow until 1964, during the Second Vatican Council, when it peaked at 1,129 members, among them 755 priests, 63 brothers, and 311 Jesuits in formation. At that time, there were three institutions of higher education, two seminaries, five secondary schools, six retreat houses, three parishes, and numerous specialized ministries.
The province was also responsible for two foreign missions territories, which included another university, three more high schools and numerous parishes. In the 21st century, the New England Province reflected greater diversity of ethnic backgrounds than the dominant Irish strain that characterized its first 50 or 60 years. Although its traditional work continued to be anchored in education, it entered into a more diverse collaboration with diocesan bishops throughout the region and outside New England.
On December 3, 2014, the New England Province and the New York Province (1943-2014) unified to become the USA Northeast Province as part of a worldwide reconfiguration of the territories of the Society of Jesus.
Collection Summary
The New England Province Archive was kept in the New England Provincial’s office in Boston until the early 1980s when it was relocated to Campion Center in Weston, MA. In 1997 the Archives were moved to the College of the Holy Cross and a project archivist was hired. The New England Province Archive was transferred to the Jesuit Archives: Central United States in 2016. The collections within the Jesuit Archives: Central United States, including the New England Province Archive, were relocated to their current home at the Jesuit Archives & Research Center in November 2017.
The records measure approximately 1500 linear feet, which includes records of the Provincial, treasurer, formation director, personnel, and the various apostolates in which New England Jesuits have been engaged. House, community, parish records, foreign mission records, personal papers, and publications are also represented. A large audiovisual collection contains videos, audio-cassettes, films, slides and photographs and digital formats. In addition, the Archives maintains a collection of books authored by members of the New England Province since its founding.
Collection Arrangement
The the records of administrative units of the Province are arranged in record groups. Subject and personal papers collections are arranged as special manuscripts collections.
Administrative Records
The New England Province Archive’s administrative record collection is arranged in seventeen record groups:
RG1: Records of the Provincial
RG2: Governance
RG3: Records of the Province Treasurer
RG4: Personnel Administration
RG5: Formation
RG6: Pastoral and Spiritual Apostolate
RG7: Education Apostolate
RG8: Social Apostolate
RG9: Departments
RG10: House/Community/Parish Records
RG11: Missions
RG12: Audiovisual and Digital Media
RG13: Blueprints and Architectural Sketches
RG14: Publications
RG15: Reference
RG16: Relics and Artifacts
RG20: Personnel Files
Special Collections
Personal Papers Collections
New England Province Authors Collection
New England Jesuit Oral History Project Collection
Finding Aids for the New England Province Collection
Finding aids for the New England Collection are being updated after the collection’s transfer to the Jesuit Archives. Please reach out to the reference archivist via the online form with any questions about the collections or reference requests.