SANTA FE (NM)
University of New Mexico [Albuquerque, NM]
June 8, 2025
By Sara Velasquez
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.
“This is the first collection of its kind here at UNM. Early on, we discussed different ways to make the collection available and ultimately decided that we would put the materials online for people to access. It seems fairer to all researchers since we know people from different parts of the country and even in different parts of the world want to see what is in these files. We also knew that since staff had gotten emotional looking at the files, that perhaps the researchers would like to be in the privacy of their homes when they access the files.”
Vescio and Woontner continue to prepare the remaining documents for public access. As Vescio mentions, the collection will be completely available online. CSWR plans to release more materials through intermittent updates over the next month, depending on the process of this first batch. The CSWR is dedicated to preserving historical records and believe that access to this documentation is essential in acknowledging past harms and supporting continued healing and justice.
To view the available documents or to learn more about the ongoing digitization project, visit CSWR Collection.