In 1884 the houses of the Society received the first issue of La Colombe de l'Arche (The Dove from the Ark) from the motherhouse. It is handwritten and duplicated by hectograph, that is by one of those gelatin pads that some of us are old enough to remember. The purple ink is fading and the paper is yellowed, but it survives. From the beginning its purpose was to bring the members of the international Society into contact with one another. The first item contains a troubled account of an uprising in Lima, Peru. Later there is a description of an earthquake in Seville and cholera elsewhere in Spain. Of course, motherhouse news figures in large measure: the return of the Mother General from a visit to the houses in France, for example. New foundations and closings are reported along with lengthy descriptions of equally lengthy liturgical celebrations. One issue particularly interesting to the Americans contains news of Mother Hardey's serious illness and recovery. La Colombe continued to appear “as often as there was interesting news” throughout the generalate of Mother Lehon, each time in a different hand on paper of different sizes, usually illustrated with a drawing of the dove. Apparently one copy was sent to each vicariate: we have copies with the names of the houses for which it was destined. In 1896 the topic was the foundation in Venice and for the first time there is a typed carbon copy in the archives as well as the handwritten one.
Publication was suspended when Mother Digby came along, but the secretary general continued to write “fortnightly letters” to the superiors conveying motherhouse and Society news and greetings and messages from the superior general to be conveyed to all the religious. There were many details about the closings in France and the move of the motherhouse to Belgium, which occupied so much of Mother Digby's generalate, but there was also the joyous event of the beatification of Madeleine Sophie.

From 1915 on with the election of Mother de Loë and her move to Rome Échos de la Quinzaine [Echoes of the past two weeks] appeared. It was published at the Villa Lante, typed and carbons sent round to the vicariates as before. From this point on there is a standard format with a title in Gothic lettering and such features of layout as could be achieved with a typewriter, dividers, for example,

 There was plenty of Roman news during these years, echoes of celebrations at which the Holy Father presided, visits from cardinals and bishops, but there was equal emphasis on news, usually religious, from around the world. For example, a priest in the Boston area wrote about the devotion to Mater in his church. Especially touching are the accounts of visits to France by our religious. They would meet with alumnae, often there was a retreat, and thus they kept contacts alive and paved the way for a gradual return. From time to time a bit of humor creeps into all this solemnity:

“Errata: Through a copying error it was reported last time that there was a lake and running stream in Genoa. In fact with regard to water on our property there is only the flood of graces flowing with such abundance on every category of souls.”

In 1919 the Echo begins to be a monthly, Écho du mois, and the issues are numbered and dated; they continue to be produced at the Villa Lante, but in February 1920 the Society was informed that from 1 March letters to the motherhouse are to be addressed to 68 Via Nomentana. Motherhouse and Roman news dominates during these years but there is attention given to happenings in the rest of the Society. With No. 6, 12 August 1927, we have a printed publication, one sheet, two sides, in French as before. This continued until 1940 when World War II occasioned the interruption of all official missives from the motherhouse. The archives possesses, however, several hundred letters sent from houses and individuals, both RSCJ and friends and relatives, describing events and experience of WW II. The amount of detail these lengthy letters contain makes them a rich source of the history of the Society during the war years. Echoes were resumed in 1946 under the title Écho de la Maison Mère. This printed news sheet gave way to a mimeographed version for a time, but the printing press went to work again during the generalate of Mother de Valon. The Échos of the early 1960's were illustrated as well and featured a full page photo of the campanile of the motherhouse, Via Nomentana, on the cover. Voyages of the superior general and assistants fill the pages as always; but this was an era of great expansion, so we find long accounts of foundations in the U.S., in Latin America, Africa and Asia. One issue, that of February 20, 1963, charts the growth in numbers of the Society: that year it reached 7035 living members; and there is reported the astonishing fact that there are 13,360 RSCJ in heaven! Format and frequency vary during these years, but the Écho appeared on the average of once a month, and there is very little change in the way events are reported. But in 1968, after the Special Chapter of 1967 not only has the color changed from the earlier gray-blue or white to pink, but the text appears in one of three languages. The tone and style change also; there is less formality; there is more than one voice: individual RSCJ from around the Society are quoted at length. The readers are thanked for contributions, and further newsletters and accounts are solicited as “They help to give a wider view of the apostolic life of the Society.” One such account shows the opening out to a wider world that was taking place in the Society: a religious in Japan writes about the four days she and a companion spent in a Zen meditation Center learning to practice zazen.

In January 1971, Information is launched, replacing the Écho. We learn of the plans to appoint a communications team at the central level, and there is conscious reflection on communication; the opinion of the membership is asked about the various publications of the secretariat, for example, the catalog and the death notices. Responses were reported: emphasis was placed on the importance, not only of information, but of “real communication” that would facilitate relationships. There are visible efforts in the next few years to foster this kind of communication: reflective pieces, accounts of workshops and talks, interviews, experiences of individual RSCJ. In response to requests the editors prepared profiles of the provinces the Central Team was visiting. There is an ongoing attempt to vary the layout: columns, headlines, different type. The publication has evolved from a letter format to a newsletter complete with editorials. It is noteworthy that these newsletters were quite long 8, 10, 12 pages single-spaced, occasionally supplemented by “documentation.”

1982 saw a new General Council and 1983, the new communications team. The three members announced their plans to the Society with this startling statement: “…we do not see ourselves as the official voice of the Central Team. Rather, we believe our role is to facilitate communication among all members…” Clearly, this is a departure in focus, for the various newsletters up to this time were the “voice of the Central Team,” even when written and edited by secretaries. One means used to carry out their purpose was the publication Communication including liberal quotation from provincial newsletters as well as human interest stories or personal essays. Photos, illustrations and cartoons enhanced the text. The themes were drawn from Society life and ministry but also from world news and political and social conditions. The justice concern becomes more and more evident. Some of the issues of Communication were really magazines of over 20 pages; they are rich in information and reflection and would repay study. It was not until June 1988 that they were produced by a word processor. From then on a “professional” look replaces the typewritten text.

In October 1987 Information appears again, No. 1 of the series that continues to the present day. At first the issues are single pages of news bites; gradually they grow to two pages and contain some reflections or accounts in the “Council's Corner.” So far there have been 160 issues. In 2004, as we know, with the inauguration of rscjinternational.org, Information (along with other motherhouse publications) in the three languages is available on the web. No longer does the paper copy appear in the mail bringing news that is several days old. The goal is the same: bringing the scattered members of “the little Society” into contact with one another.