The International Catacomb Society was founded in 1980 by Estelle S. Brettman. The Society is dedicated to the preservation and documentation of the Roman catacombs -- those rare vestiges of history that illustrate the common influences on Jewish, Christian, and Pagan iconography and funerary practices during the time of the Roman Empire. The Society also strives to increase knowledge of the catacombs and understanding among faiths by circulating exhibits, sponsoring lectures, and disseminating information and publications.

The exhibition "Vaults of Memory," created by Estelle Brettman, consists of photographs, inscriptions, and objects that present a visual essay of shared symbols of Jewish, Christian, and Pagan funerary art in the Roman catacombs. The exhibition has been met with enthusiastic responses at the Boston Public Library, the Castel San Angelo in Rome, the National Academy of Sciences in Washington, D.C., the Kelsey Museum of Archaeology at the University of Michigan, and the Bible Lands Museum in Jerusalem, among other venues.