Ohio, Diocese of Toledo, Catholic Parish Records - FamilySearch Historical Records

Record Description
Entries are recorded in register books in columns or in paragraphs without columns. Records are organized by county, then by community, and finally by parish within each community. Some records for some parishes are available for the following Ohio counties:

This collection will include records for the dates 1796-2004.

Some parishes, especially German speaking ones, were served by the same priest and so records appear very similar in the various parishes during the time period when they served.

Example: St. Mary, Sandusky, Erie County and St. Sebastian, Bismark, Huron County shared the same priests during their early years.

For a list of records by localities and dates currently published in this collection, select the Browse link from the collection landing page.

Record Content
This collection usually contains the following information:

Birth Records


 * Date and place of baptism
 * Child's name and gender
 * Child's date of birth
 * Parents' names including maiden name of mother
 * Names of sponsors or witnesses
 * Name of officiating priest

Confirmation Records


 * Confirmation date and place
 * Given name, surname and confirmation (Catholic) name of child
 * Date and place of baptism
 * Names of parents
 * Name of officiating priest

Marriage Records


 * Groom's name and place of residence
 * Date and place of groom's baptism
 * Names of groom's parents, including maiden name of mother
 * Bride's name and place of residence
 * Date and place of bride's baptism
 * Names of bride's parents, including maiden name of mother
 * Names of witnesses
 * Name of pastor

Death and burial records


 * Death date and burial date
 * Name and age of deceased
 * Birthplace of deceased
 * Cause of death
 * Name of officiating priest
 * Name of cemetery in which interred

How to Use the Records
To begin your search it is helpful to know


 * The name of the primary individual such as the child
 * Other identifying information such as the birth or marriage date

Search the Collection
To search the collections: ⇒Select the "Browse" link in the initial search page ⇒Select the "County" category ⇒Select the "City/Town/Village" category ⇒Select the "Parish" category ⇒Select the "Record Type and Year Range" category which takes you to the images

Search the collection by image comparing the information with what you already know about your ancestors to determine which one is your ancestor. You may need to compare the information about more than one person to make this determination.

As you are searching it is helpful to know such information as your ancestor’s given name and surname, some identifying information such as residence and age, and family relationships. Remember that there may be more than one person in the records with the same name as your ancestor and that your ancestor may have used nicknames or different names at different times.

Search the Collection
When you have located your ancestor’s record, carefully evaluate each piece of information given. These pieces of information may give you new biographical details that can lead you to other records about your ancestors. Add this new information to your records of each family. For example:


 * Use christening and birth records of christenings (baptisms) to identify a person’s birth date and place. They are an excellent substitute for civil birth information.
 * Use church records of confirmations to identify a person’s birth date and place or his or her age. If only the age is given, use it to calculate the person’s birth date.
 * Use church records of deaths or burials to identify a person’s birth date and place.
 * Use age at death or burial to calculate a person’s birth date. They are an excellent substitute for civil death information.
 * Use church records of marriages to identify a couple, the marriage date and place, and to begin compiling a family group. They are an excellent substitute for civil marriage information.

Known Issues with This Collection
For a full list of all known issues associated with this collection, see the attached Wiki article. If you encounter additional problems, please email them to [mailto:support@familysearch.org support@familysearch.org]. Please include the full path to the link and a description of the problem in your e-mail. Your assistance will help ensure that future reworks will be considered.

Related Websites
Catholic Diocese of Toledo

Related Wiki Articles

 * Ohio Church Records
 * Toleldo, Ohio
 * United States Church Records

Contributions to This Article
We welcome user additions to FamilySearch Historical Records wiki articles. Guidelines are available to help you make changes. Thank you for any contributions you may provide. If you would like to get more involved join the WikiProject FamilySearch Records.

Citing FamilySearch Historical Collections
Citations for individual image records are available for this collection. Browse through images in this collection and click on the "Show Citation" box: Ohio, Diocese of Toledo, Catholic Parish Records, 1796-2004

When you copy information from a record, you should list where you found the information. This will help you or others to find the record again. It is also good to keep track of records where you did not find information, including the names of the people you looked for in the records.

Citation for this Collection
The following citation refers to the original source of the information published in FamilySearch.org Historical Record collections. Sources include the author, custodian, publisher and archive for the original records.