Canada, Roman Catholic Archives - International Institute

The Roman Catholic Church is divided into dioceses, which are the principal means of governing it. The dioceses are divided into parishes, and the parish priest is responsible to the bishop.

The authoritarian structure of the Roman Catholic Church is reflected in its policies regarding archives. There is a definite stand taken on the value of keeping church records safe, which was made clear by the Pontifical Commission for the Cultural Heritage of the Church. As well as advocating proper archival conditions for the records, it suggested making the records available for searching, saying:


 * Those responsible must make sure that the use of Church archives be facilitated further, that is not only to those interested who have the right to access but also to a larger range of researchers, without prejudice towards their religious or ideological backgrounds, following the best of Church tradition yet while respecting appropriate norms of protection offered by universal law as well as the regulations of the diocesan Bishop

The significant clause for Canadian genealogists is the last one, which is further clarified by this comment: “It is for the Bishop to provide detailed norms concerning the transfer of such documents and access to them.”

In essence this means that each bishop has the right to determine archival policy for his diocese.

Thus it may be that the Roman Catholic diocese of interest has its own archives which include the church records for that area. However it is more likely that the records will be kept locally, because the practices of the church require it. For example, people being married in the church require an official copy of their baptismal certificate, which is supplied by the church in question (this may be a diocesan matter in some places). The original register is required to supply this form. The only way to determine the local policy is to ask, either at the diocesan office or the church.

To find the address or telephone number of the church you need, consult the Canadian Catholic Church Directory (published annually since 1983) or try an Internet search. If the church itself does not have a website, the diocese may well have one and a quick telephone call to the diocesan office will get the number you need. You will find that most dioceses have a website now, and even if they do not list all the churches in the diocese on that website, there will be an email address to the diocesan office which will help you find information about them.

In the 1950s the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints filmed numbers of Roman Catholic records in Canada, so it may be worthwhile checking the FamilySearch catalogue for them.

French-Canadian Roman Catholic church records have been published in book form so extensively that researchers should begin by assuming that there is a book version and do searches in library catalogues accordingly. These include not only those in Québec itself but also French-Canadian churches in New Brunswick, Ontario and Manitoba.