Joan E. Penzenstadler photographic collection

The Joan E. Penzenstadler photograph collection documents the organizations and events of the Catholic Church in Texas. Penzenstadler is the wife of Archie Gress, founder and director of Volunteers for Educational and Social Services (VESS) (1972-1981), a division directed by the Texas Catholic Conference (TCC). The collection is composed of 35mm black and white and color negatives, 35mm slides, black and white contact sheets, and black and white 8x10s, photographed primarily by Joan Penzenstadler. The only material not photographed by Penzenstadler is one strip of negatives (consisting of six frames) photographed by Liz Thoman.

The Penzenstadler collection bulks with the TCC, Catholic Youth Organization (CYO), and Austin Diocese records. The TCC Series documents the TCC annual General Assemblies. The CYO series primarily records the CYO annual conventions in Texas, with the National Catholic Youth Organization Convention for one unknown year included. The Austin Diocese series deals with a wide range of diocesan organizations such as Adoration Convent, Confraternity of Christian Doctrine (CCD), and the University of Texas Austin Catholic Student Center. The Austin Diocese series also records a variety of diocesan events, such as the ordination of priests, Our Lady of Guadalupe Feast Day Celebrations, and the Diocesan Assembly of 1978. The Austin Diocese series includes portraits of men religious, including Bishop Vincent M. Harris.

The Texas-Wide Events series, a term Penzenstadler used, encompasses events which were statewide in scope, but may also coverer more localized events that Penzenstadler included in this series. The series deals with such events as the Sisters Communication Seminar, and Bishop Joseph A. Fiorenza Consecration. The Texas Conference of Churches series records the Texas Conference of Churches Assemblies. In the Parishes series, parishes documented are: Casa Guadalupe, Cristo Rey, Dolores, Holy Cross, Sacred Heart, Sacred Heart (Floresville), St. Austin, St. Helen (Georgetown), St. Ignatius, St. Joseph (Killeen), St. Lawrence (Amarillo), St. Mary’s Cathedral, St. Theresa, and San Jose.