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University of Saint Mary of the LakeFeehan Memorial Library and McEssy Theological Resource Center

Welcome to our Online Sacred Letters Collection Repository!

The University of Saint Mary of the Lake's Sacred Letters Collection comprises more than 300 original letters of various types written by Catholic saints, blesseds, and venerables from the 12th through 19th centuries. Notable authors represented in this collection include St. Camillus de Lellis, St. Jane Frances de Chantal, St. Teresa of Avila, St. Francis de Sales, Pope St. Pius V, St. Charles Borromeo, St. Robert Bellarmine, St. Aloysius Gonzaga, St. Paul of the Cross, St. Alphonsus Liguori, St. Mary Magdalen de Pazzi, St. James of the Marshes, St. Bernardine of Siena, St. Peter Fourier, St. Catherine de’ Ricci, Blessed Charles Spinola, St. John Henry Newman, St. Francis Xavier Cabrini, and St. John Bosco. The letters written primarily in Latin, Italian, French, and Spanish are in varying physical condition. We hope that in reading and studying these digitized texts you might benefit from and learn more about the rich heritage and history of the Roman Catholic Church from the medieval to the modern eras contained within these letters.

Tips for Searching

Keyword Search

The Keyword Search button allows you to perform a general search across multiple fields for any catalog records online. Keyword searches use OR as the default connector between words (e.g. a search for Hanley Ranch will return records associated with Hanley OR Ranch). If you want to find records where both keywords are found, type in AND between the two words. To search for a specific phrase, be sure to put the phrase within quotes (e.g. "Rocky Pine Ranch"). You can also use the asterisk (*) as a wildcard (e.g. a search for histor* would come up with records containing history, histories, historical, etc.). Searches are not case sensitive.

Advanced Search

The Advanced Search button can help you be more specific with your search. You can search for a word or phrase within a particular search category or use multiple categories to further narrow down your search results. For example, searching White in the People field will bring up any records associated with a member of the White family, without having to sift through black & white photographs. You can also search People and Creator records through Advanced Search. Phrase searching with quotes and use of wildcards (*) are available in Advanced Search.

Random Images

The Random Images button is a great way to just browse the collection. Each Random Images page displays a random assortment of images from the records online. If something piques your interest, click the thumbnail to view a larger version of the image.

Catalog Searches (Archives / Photos / Libraries / Objects)

The catalog buttons can also help narrow down your search, by only searching with a selected catalog. If you only want to search for Photos, click the Photos button and type in your keyword(s) or phrase. You can also browse records within that catalog without performing a search. Phrase searching, wildcards (*) as well as AND/OR statements are available when performing catalog searches.

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