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Terminology

For each letter, the Digital Indipetae Database collects data for several categories. You may explore the letters and limit your searches through these categories. Each category is defined here.

Names

  • Sender -- The name of the sender of the letter

  • Recipient -- The name of the recipient of the letter

  • Models/Saints/Missionaries -- The names of the figures (deceased) that are cited in the letter (e.g., Ignatius of Loyola, Francis Xavier, Mary)

  • Other names -- The names of the figures (living) that are cited in the letter (e.g., Maksymilian Ryłło S.J., Paolo Maria Riccadonna S.J.)

  • Transcriber -- The abbreviation of the name of the transcriber of the letter for this database (e.g., MR (Marco Rochini))

Places

  • From (City) -- The city from where the letter is written.

  • From (Institution) -- The institution from where the letter is written (e.g, Rome, Noviciate of Sant’Andrea al Quirinale)

  • To -- The city to which the letter is addressed

  • Destinations -- The missionary destination as specifically requested in the letter (e.g., Albania, China, Japan)


Dates

  • Date range -- a range of when letters were written (in year-month-day format)
  • Month -- The month in which letter is written
  • Day -- The day on which letter is written

Other

  • Grade S.J. -- The grade within the Society of Jesus of the sender of the letter (e.g., Novice, Scholastic, Spiritual Coadjutor, Temporal Coadjutor, or Professed of the 4th vow). Undetermined appears if the grade is not evident from the letter

  • Anterior Desire -- The concept that the letter writer had a missionary vocation is before he entered in the Society of Jesus 

  • Left for Mission Lands -- If the sender of the letter left for the missions or not

  • Language -- The language of the letter



Archives

Each letter identifies its archival source by an abbreviation listed below. As letters from more archives are entered into the Digital Indipetae Database, the abbreviation for each will appear here. Archivists should contact the database’s editors to learn how to collaborate on this project.