Passionist Archives of Holy Cross Province: A Personal Reflection
by Mr. Damian Schaab, Province Archivist
The centennial celebration of Holy Cross Province reminds us, again, of the importance of Passionist archives. In this spirit I asked Mr. Damian Schaab to reflect on his job as Province Archivist for Holy Cross Province. Mr. Schaab succeeded Father Roger Mercurio, CP. in this position. Presently, Mr. Schaab benefits from the assistance which Ms. Stacy McMichael has given in addressing some of the computer-based projects undertaken by the province archives. -the editor
Archives have often been referred to as the collective memory of an organization. The Passionist Provincial Archives contains the primary, documentary evidence that is needed to identify the history of the Holy Cross Province. All of these materials require protection and preservation from physical deterioration to prevent the historical loss that would occur if they were ignored or forgotten.
In order to preserve the entire history of the Holy Cross Province, a well-maintained and accessible archive is a necessity. The Passionist Provincial Archives (Holy Cross Province) stands together with the Passionist Historical Archives (St. Paul of the Cross Province) as a resource for Passionist history and as evidence for the wider history of Passionist life and mission in America.
The primary responsibility for the Passionist Provincial Archives belongs to the congregation itself. Committee minutes, general correspondence, parish bulletins, and daily ledgers may sometimes seem like administrative afterthoughts, but in reality, these things are the essence of history. Without this living history, the archivist would have nothing to preserve, and I, in turn, would be out of a job. Thankfully, there is no shortage of materials to be preserved. That's where I come in.
As Director of Archives, I am primarily concerned with collecting and appraising, preserving and protecting, arranging and describing and making accessible original documents and records of the congregation. An archivist is not necessarily the historian or interpreter of the congregation's history. Rather, the archivist acts as a conduit for information, ensuring that historical materials are accessible to those who wish to use them.
Growing up in St. Paul, Minnesota, I thought that one day I would be patrolling centerfield for the Minnesota Twins. Never did I dream that archives rather than baseball would be my calling. In fact, well after my dreams of playing baseball had subsided, I turned my attention to studying baseball. I received a Bachelor of Arts degree in American History from the University of Minnesota in 1997. I returned to school in the fall of 1998 at Northeastern Illinois University. Under the tutelage of Dr. Steven A. Reiss, a leader in the field of baseball history, my love of history began to take shape, as did my career, though I really didn't know it yet. In order to pay the bills I accepted an internship with the Illinois Regional Archives Depository (IRAD). With IRAD I learned the ins and outs of maintaining a functional public archive. At that time I found myself becoming interested not only in history, but the preservation thereof.
Very often, a scholar is only as proficient as the historical evidence permits. As Director or Archives for the Passionist Provincial Archives it is my duty to ensure that researchers have access to historical information. More and more I have had to remind myself that it is not the archivist's responsibility to interpret history. Rather, as an archivist, I must collect and organize history in such a way that researchers can readily draw their own conclusions based on the evidence I maintain.
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