Capturing testimonies at risk of being lost forever

Why our church archives need oral history projects: Capturing testimonies at risk of being lost forever

Church archives have a key role in passing down to future generations the historical and artistic patrimony of the Church. Although it is mandated in Canon Law and most recently in two circular letters from the Vatican in 1999 and 2006 that all Dioceses must have a functioning archive; it is generally usually unusual if the archive functions or has a qualified archivist working. Generally, archives are all but closed off to the public out of fear.

This fear may be from reluctance to hand over the documents to the general public or historians or fear of the unknown; that the archive may be uncatalogued and the clergy or laity in charge of the archive may not know what potentially damaging documents or documents that may breach Data Protection Laws, may be inside the files. However, our archives play a vital role in documenting our lives; none more so than church archives. Anyone who has ever researched their family history will know the importance of baptismal records. Given all the problems facing the Church, it is unsurprising that archives are regularly at the bottom of the list of priorities for our Bishops. But we should urge the Hierarchy to invest more in our archives because the archives will ensure the preservation of the history of the Church.

While it is unlikely that attitudes towards church archives will change in the short term, I would propose the prioritising of oral history projects to capture the stories of our old people and how they lived their faith in decades past. Given the aging congregation in the pews, it is vital that we capture this important part of our history before it is lost forever. One should note that this is not only part of Church’s history but also the history of a nation (especially one like Ireland). If we do not start recording the histories of our old people and their faith lives, we will regret it in the decades to come when historians attempt to write the histories of the Catholic Church in Ireland in the 20th Century.

In Cardinal Robert Sarah’s most recent book The Day Is Now Far Spent, he offers prescient warnings to the West of the dangers of abandoning Christianity. ‘In many Western countries, the desire (is) to break with the past and all its traditions…Man no longer loves himself. He no longer loves his neighbour or the land of his ancestors. He detests his culture and the values of the past. Many combat our religions, cultural, historical heritage and our very roots…Because it denies its Christian roots, Europe no longer has a common cement.’[1] We are experiencing this desire to break with the past everywhere, including Ireland, it is up to us Catholics to prevent our history getting forgotten. If we do not start recording our history, we will continue having a purely hierarchical, macro history of the Catholic Church without the testimonies of ordinary people on a micro level.

Oral history projects have grown to become a key part of archives across the world and historical subjects. However, church archives have been slow to adopt these projects. Oral histories were first adopted by social historians and groups who began documenting the stories of marginalised groups. In terms of social history, there are untapped wells of history to be gained by investigating how people lived their faith in the past. With the decline of devotional practices, the fact that the practice of religion meant so much to these people and took up so much of their lives necessitates that it be studied even from a secular viewpoint.

These oral histories could include interviews carried out by trained archivists or historians with members of the clergy, religious communities, and the laity. I would emphasise the laity as it is vital that we get the perspective of ordinary church-going Catholics. There have been some successful instances of church or religious archives using oral histories such as the Nano Nagle Centre in Cork.

These projects would be a great way for church archives to engage with the community and they should aim to get the same level of public goodwill that the Nano Nagle Centre received when they began their projects. In this way, our archives can become tools for the development of the faith and not closed off or secretive. It should also be expected from the laity that there be a functioning archive in our Dioceses. By engaging in projects like oral histories, we can increase lay participation and engage with our communities on a local level.

To give one example of what the oral history projects might focus on, we lack accounts of how the ordinary clergy and laity felt about the changes following the Second Vatican Council. Priests that may have gone through the seminary and taught the Tridentine Mass were then instructed in the Novus Ordo. The laity who may have received most of the sacraments in Latin were then presented with the mass in the Vernacular. Given the resurgence of the Traditional Latin Mass in recent years, especially amongst young people, it is now more important than ever that we record the differing opinions of those Catholics during the 1960s and 1970s. Such a climactic change necessitates documentation. Secular historians or historical bodies won’t devote time or money towards it. In the coming years less and less people will be alive who were active in the Church in the 1960s; therefore, it is vital that we capture their histories.

It is important to note that these projects would be relatively simple to roll out given the proper support from the Hierarchy and would cost less than static archives, often the software used by oral historians is free to use. These oral testimonies from religious and laity could be divided into theme or topic and be available for people and researchers to study online. Aside from the costs to maintain the website, these oral history projects would not require extravagant funds and the benefits to future generations would be incalculable. The community engagement would also lead to multiple benefits for the local churches.

Cardinal Sarah notes that in Africa, ‘The old people assure the transmission of culture. They are our archives, our librarians, and our guardians of our traditions. Without them, peoples become orphans, without affiliation, without tradition.’[2] The Western Church needs to relearn how to listen and it must record the testimony of its old people. With the Church entering difficult decades it is important that we record our past as we risk parts of it disappearing altogether. In this throwaway culture of the 21st century, we need to listen and learn from our old people. They have valuable insights to give us about the church of the past. They only need to be asked the questions and given a listening ear.

[1] Cardinal Robert Sarah, The Day Is Now Far Spent, (San Francisco, 2019) p.284.

[2] Cardinal Robert Sarah, The Day Is Now Far Spent, (San Francisco, 2019) p.311.

Ronan Doheny

2019