National Catholic Welfare Conference, Department of Immigration, New York Office and the Catholic Committee for Refugees Records (CMS 024)
July 14, 2016
This collection holds files pertain to the work of the New York Office of the National Catholic Welfare Conference (NCWC), Department of Immigration and the Committee for Catholic Refugees from 1921-1965. Although the materials span two agencies, they have been arranged into a single alphabetical sequence. The types of materials include agenda, clippings, correspondence, lists, memos, minutes, pamphlets, press releases, photographs, reports, speeches, telegrams, notes, programs, legislation, annual reports, statistics, bulletins, newsletters, and other materials. In addition to documenting the functions of the two agencies, the materials in the collection were also generated by related organizations to which staff members belonged, including the American Council of Voluntary Agencies for Foreign Service, the Intergovernmental Committee for European Migration, the National Conference of Catholic Charities, the National Council on Naturalization and Citizenship, the New York Committee on Immigration and Naturalization, the US Committee for the Care of European Children, and other organizations.
The materials document certain special missions undertaken by the two agencies on behalf of displaced priests, scholars, and orphans, the latter being of particular concern to the Committee for Catholic Refugees. There are over two boxes of correspondence with Monsignor Landi, Director of the Italian Mission of Catholic relief Services, NCWC regarding adoption of Italian war orphans, as well as materials on Lithuanian, Ukrainian, and Polish orphans. Some of the latter were subsequently resettled in Mexico (the Mexico Project). There is also a substantial amount of statistical material (completed forms and passenger lists) on aliens arriving in the United States from Shanghai (Shanghai Project).