St. Catherine’s scrapbook consists of one oversized, hardcover scrapbook with riveted binding. Composed of newspaper clippings, photographs, school and congregation programs, and other ephemera, the scrapbook represents the time period, geographic location, and focus of its creators. Though it is composed mostly of secondary source newspaper clippings, the scrapbook provides a glimpse into the life of the students and sisters at the time, the cultural weight of WWII, and life at St. Catherine’s, the city of Benicia and its surroundings.

St. Catherine’s Academy was founded by the Dominican Sisters of San Rafael in 1854 in Benicia, CA, upon their arrival from Monterey. Originally a boarding school for girls, St. Catherine’s became a co-educational school in 1889 and continued as such until its closure and subsequent demolition in 1966. The former site of St. Catherine’s is now a shopping center known as Solano Square, located in downtown Benicia. The school was staffed by sisters who lived in the adjoining convent. In addition to working at the school, the sisters conducted work in the community which, at the time, often found them interacting with the numerous military facilities, soldiers, and officers in the region, such as providing religious services at the Benicia Arsenal and Barracks.

1 oversized scrapbook, 12”x14”x1.5”

Property rights reside with the Dominican Sisters of San Rafael Archives. For permissions to publish, please contact the Archivist.

Collection is open for research