CSWR and Special Collections releases first portion of Archdiocese of Santa Fe Institutional Abuse Collection
University of New Mexico News
June 7, 2025
The Center for Southwest Research and Special Collections (CSWR), part of the University Libraries, has announced the public release of the first portion of the Archdiocese of Santa Fe Institutional Abuse Collection. This important digital archive provides public access to previously sealed legal documents related to clergy sexual abuse cases in New Mexico.
The collection was established as a part of the settlement between the Archdiocese of Santa Fe and victims of sexual abuse perpetrated by its clergy members. This first batch of documents consists of deposition transcripts related to lawsuits against the Archdiocese in the 1900s, 2000s, and 2010s. Overall the collection includes depositions, personnel files, church administrative records, and other legal documents from the settlement. These documents, now available in digital format, serve as a crucial resource for survivors, researchers, journalists, and community members seeking greater transparency and accountability in institutional abuse cases.
"New Mexico was an epicenter of Catholic sexual abuse in the US; the state gained the reputation of a “dumping ground” because priests who abused young people landed frequently here. But in a remarkable development, the Archdiocese of Santa Fe handed over its “abuse files” to UNM as part of its bankruptcy settlement. Now UNM is the first university in the US to hold a Catholic sexual abuse archive,” said Kathleen Holscher, associate professor of Religious Studies and American Studies. Holscher also holds the endowed chair of the Roman Catholic Studies at UNM.
“The Archdiocese of Santa Fe Institutional Abuse Collection is one of the largest publicly accessible collections of clerical abuse documents anywhere, and one of the largest collections related to Catholicism in the U.S. Southwest outside the Church’s own holdings. In addition to being a critical resource for survivors and the public, the UNM abuse archive is an extraordinary opportunity for scholars interested in religion and abuse, as well as Catholicism in New Mexico and the U.S. Southwest," added Holscher.
This release represents the initial segment of a larger digitization effort. The CSWR staff working on this collection consists of Portia Vescio, university archivist, and Avi Woontner, library information specialist.
“Working with the collection has been a huge challenge for us in a number of ways. We had to set up a whole new technical infrastructure to work with the files. Then there was the subject matter. Some of the files are very tough to read," said Vescio. "We have recognized that working with these files means that we have to pay attention not only to the work getting done, but also to the mental health of the person doing the work.
To read the entire article, go to this link.
To view the available documents or to learn more about the ongoing digitization project, visit CSWR Collection.
