National Catholic Welfare Conference, Department of Immigration Records (CMS 023)
July 14, 2016
The National Catholic Welfare Conference (NCWC) Department of Immigration was a bureau/department of the National Catholic Welfare Conference, established in December 1920 directly under the Executive Department of the the NCWC. Upon the founding of the Bureau of Immigration, the bishops wished to establish a national Catholic immigrant aid organization with the goals augmenting the work already being accomplished by smaller ethnic societies which specialized in helping immigrant co-nationals, paying attention to the religious needs of Catholic immigrants, and serving as a clearinghouse for information regarding immigration and emigration.
This collection contains the general correspondence files accumulated by the Washington headquarters of the National Catholic Welfare Conference (NCWC) from 1920-1970. Most of this material consists of correspondence with other immigrant aid and welfare organizations, including the National Council of Catholic Women, the National Council of Catholic Men, the American Council of Voluntary Agencies for Foreign Service, and other organizations. Most correspondence is directed to Bruce Mohler, head of the NCWC Department of Immigration. It also contains a significant amount of information related to Ellis Island and the NCWC’s El Paso office. This collection demonstrates how the Catholic community worked to provide aid to immigrants and refugees.