The Archives

Our Collections

      S. Clement's is blessed with a well documented history.  Parish Registers, Vestry Minutes, and Service Registers begin with its founding in the 1850's and continue to the present day.

      There has been some type of newsletter since the Parish Guide was first published by Fr. Batterson in 1869/70.  The Magazine, started by the Cowley Fathers in 1882, lasted until 1929.  The Quarterly ran from 1936 to 1957, and there were various forms of a Newsletter from 1966 to 2015.  There are bound copies of all of these in the Archives.  In 1930 the leaflets (or bulletins) from services for Sundays and all Holy Days have been bound in volumes also containing newsletters and annual reports.  We have these up to 2011.

      Various people have tried their hand at writing parish histories.  The most extensive ones are: “The Story of St. Clement's, Philadelphia 1864–1964”  by May Lilly, printed for the  Centennial of the Church's consecration; and “The Early Days at St. Clement's, Philadelphia” by Franklin Joiner, which first appeared in issues of The American Church Monthly in February, March and April, 1934.  In addition to these, there are a number of short histories, in typescript.  Many articles dealing with specific aspects of our history have appeared in issues of the Magazine, the Quarterly, and Newsletters.

      In addition to the bound material, there are extensive files of papers of various kinds, containing rectors' correspondence, newspaper clippings, particularly of various controversies around Anglo-Catholic practices in the parish, and accounts of important parish events.  These files are particularly rich in 19th-century material, especially during the time of the Cowley Fathers (1876–1891),  and during the Rectorate of Fr. Joiner (1920–1955). 

      A large collection of photographs illustrate all this written material.  There are early formal photographs in black and white, as well as a vast number or colored snapshots from the 1970's to the 1990's, of liturgical services and other parish events.  There is also a collection of video-tapes (VHS) of services.

       The Archives hold the answer to many questions about the history of St. Clement's.  Donations to the archives are always welcome.  For questions, please contact the Archivist, Mother Barbara Henry, at barbarahws@aol.com.

Meet The Archivist: Mother Barbara Henry

The Yarnall Collection

The Yarnall Library of Theology was established in 1911 at S. Clement's Episcopal Church, Philadelphia, for the use of the clergy and of all students of theology and ecclesiastical history. The collection was housed at the Philadelphia Divinity School from 1912 until 1974 when it was placed on deposit at the University of Pennsylvania Library. The collection consists of approximately 21,000 volumes shelved and approximately 700 rare books housed in Special Collections. The collection supports specialized study in the fields of Anglican and Roman Catholic canon law, history, biography, liturgy and theology and in some related subjects.

The Yarnall Fund, still managed by S. Clement's Church, provides for the continued upkeep and enhancement of the collection. Current collection development policy continues that set forth by Ellis Yarnall. Materials are acquired to complement the University's rich resources in patristics, canon law, medieval studies and 17th and 18th century British culture, and to extend the Library's holdings in Anglican and Roman Catholic liturgy and in English and Irish biography and local history. The Yarnall Library is developed in coordination with the bibliographer for Religious Studies, and every effort is made to minimize duplication with the University Library's own collection development.