Selected Documents from the Monastery of the of Notre-Dame de Sion, Paris (Archives of the Fathers and Brothers)

This collection is from the archives of the men’s’ religious order of Notre-Dame de Sion (NDS) in Paris and documents the monastery’s efforts in saving European Jews, especially children, during the rise of Nazism and the period of the German Occupation during World War II. It consists of printed publications by the order in French, handwritten ledgers keeping track of children entrusted to NDS during World War II and who sometimes remained with Catholic families after the war, diaries of the priests and brothers, and a history of the congregation composed by one of its members, Father Colson, in handwritten and typed formats. Though the most relevant documents are from the early 1930’s to the mid-1950’s, there are also early 19th century records of baptisms and conversions, marriage certificates from the 19th and 20th centuries, and notes from the early 21st century. In the diary of daily events, it is noted that formerly well-to-do German refugees arrived at the NDS in the early 1930’s, having lost everything and in grave need of basic necessities. The Congregation of Notre-Dame de Sion, also known as NDS, was founded by two brothers, Théodore and Alphonse Ratisbonne, Jews from Strasbourg who converted to Roman Catholicism in the first half of the 19th century. (The congregation of priests and brothers was founded in 1852, the order of religious sisters was founded in 1843, in Paris.) Its goal was to convert Jews to Christianity through proselytizing and education, sometimes unbeknownst to the children’s families: "to witness in the Church and in the world that God continues to be faithful in his love for the Jewish people and to hasten the fulfillment of the promises concerning the Jews and the Gentiles." (Constitution, article 2). After the Second Vatican Council, active conversion was no longer NDS’s primary goal. Instead, the congregation tried to open a dialogue with the Jewish community and foster mutual respect between the two religions, especially after the traumatic incidents following World War II when members of Catholic orders and the Vatican itself refused to relinquish children who had been baptized to their families or the Jewish community. Yad Vashem has recognized seven Sisters and one priest of the congregation as “Righteous among the Nations” for their roles in saving Jews during WW II. Father Devaux, the Superior General of Notre-Dame de Sion, was instrumental in this effort. Copyright Holder: Congrégation de Notre-Dame de Sion, Archives du monastère (frères et prêtres), Paris