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

What is in This Collection?
The Catholic Parish 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. This collection includes records for the dates 1796-2004. Some records for some parishes are available for the following Ohio counties:

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

What Can These Records Tell Me?
Church records may contain"
 * Names of individuals
 * Date and place of baptism
 * Child's date of birth
 * Parents' names including maiden name of mother
 * Names of sponsors or witnesses
 * Name of priest
 * Confirmation date and place
 * Date and place of marriage
 * Death date and burial date
 * Name of cemetery in which interred

How Do I Search This Collection?
Before searching this collection, it is helpful to know:
 * The name of your ancestor
 * The date of any event
 * The parish where the event occurred

View the Images
View images in this collection by visiting the :
 * 1) Select  the County
 * 2) Select the City/Town/village
 * 3) Select the Parish
 * 4) Select the Record Type and Year Range to view the images

How Do I Analyze the Results?
Compare each result from your search with what you know to determine if there is a match. This may require viewing multiple records or images. Keep track of your research in a research log.

What Do I Do Next?
When you have located your ancestor in the Catholic Parish records, 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.

I Found the Person I Was Looking For, What Now?

 * Search for vital records such as birth, marriage, and death
 * Use the information found in the record to find land records
 * Use the information found in the record to find additional family members in census records
 * Search for probate and immigration records

I Can’t Find the Person I’m Looking For, What Now?

 * If your ancestor does not have a common name, collect entries for every person who has the same surname. This list can help you find possible relatives
 * If you cannot locate your ancestor in the locality in which you believe they lived, then try searching records of a nearby town or county
 * Try different spellings of your ancestor’s name
 * Remember that sometimes individuals went by nicknames or alternated between using first and middle names, or even initials
 * Consult the Ohio Record Finder to find other records

Research Helps
The following articles will help you in your research for your family in the state of Ohio.
 * Ohio Guided Research
 * Ohio Record Finder
 * Research Tips and Strategies
 * Step-by-Step Research

Citing This Collection
Citations help you keep track of places you have searched and sources you have found. Identifying your sources helps others find the records you used.


 * Collection Citation:"Ohio, Diocese of Toledo, Catholic Parish Records, 1796-2004." Images. FamilySearch. http://FamilySearch.org : 14 June 2016. Bowling Green State University, Center for Archival Collections, Bowling Green.