Mgr-Antoine-Racine Centre of Archives

BRIEF HISTORY
In 1992, the archives department at the Archdiocese of Sherbrooke and the archives department at the Séminaire de Sherbrooke joined forces to apply for a joint accreditation from the national archives of Quebec. This process involved many twists and turns and it was only on the 25th of March 2009 that the Reunification of the Archives of the Séminaire de Sherbrooke and the Archdiocese of Sherbrooke (RASSAS) obtained its accreditation from the National Library and Archives of Quebec, in recognition of the historical value of the archives showcased by the two organizations. Four religious orders have developed ties to the the RASSAS over the years. Since September 18th 2018, the department has been referred to as the Mgr-Antoine-Racine Centre of Archives.

DESCRIPTION OF FONDS AND COLLECTIONS
The Mgr-Antoine-Racine Centre of Archives ensures the conservation, processing, and dissemination of documents produced by the archbishopric of Sherbrooke and the Séminaire de Sherbrooke, as well as those of several noteworthy individuals and important religious communities in the history of the archdiocese of Sherbrooke. A large part of the archival collection also concerns the history of individual parishes within the diocese.

Time span covered by archives: 1852-auj.
Technical specifications and geographic maps: 5,942
Iconographic documents:  161,151
Text documents: 450.5 m.l.
Hours of sound recordings: 7,030
Hours of video recordings: 174,469
Number of fonds: 646

MANDATE AND MISSION
The Mgr-Antoine-Racine Centre of Archives conserves and makes accessible an archival heritage  (textual documents, photographs, maps, blueprints and sketches, audio and video recordings) that attests to the history of the archdiocese, its parishes and religious communities, and the individuals that shaped them. Also conserved at the centre are certain religious objects used in services and ceremonies that speak to the history of the archdiocese of Sherbrooke. The Mgr-Antoine-Racine Centre of Archives also wishes to make available archives bearing witness to the history of private education institutions, especially the Séminaire de Sherbrooke.