Church Record Sunday: 5 Websites for Catholic Genealogy

Mission San Luis Rey (c) 2011 Gena Philibert-Ortega

I thought we would do something a little different this month for Church Record Sunday. Instead of featuring one single resource I will be spotlighting five each Sunday in December.

Today we have five websites for your Catholic family history research.

1. University of Notre Dame Archives

According  to their website "The University Archives is responsible for the collection, maintenance, and preservation of the official records of the University of Notre Dame as well as other records that document the life of the Catholic Church and her people as lived in the American context." While obviously there are a large amount of  works pertaining to Notre Dame in this archive, don't let that stop you from searching the catalog. When I searched on the word California, I received all kinds of results including materials about parishes and missions in California.

While you are on the Archives website, make sure to click on the link for Digital Collections. Here you will find a manuscript collection for the Diocese of Louisiana and the Floridas, 1576-1803.

2. The National Archives (UK)- Catholics

Have English Catholic ancestors? You might be interested in this research guide from The National Archives (UK). According to the web page, "This guide details how and where records relating specifically to Catholics can be found at The National Archives, though its scope is not exhaustive and there are countless records with coverage of Catholics and Catholicism not touched upon here. The primary focus is the period between the mid-16th and the mid-19th centuries..."

3. Catholic Cemeteries Conference

I blogged about this website previously on Church Record Sunday. It includes an index for Catholic cemeteries in the United States (and a few other places).

4. Cyndi's List-Catholic

Any research project requires some time to find resources and one of the first places most genealogists  begin is Cyndi's List. Don't forget to check out the links she has for Catholic websites.

5. US Diocese and Bishop Addresses- US Conference of Catholic Bishops

Diocese addresses and website links. Good starting point to learn more about records access and archival collections.

Church Record Sunday: History of Religion in North Carolina

Here's a great resource for those with ancestors from North Carolina. A Guide to Researching the History of Religion in North Carolina from the North Carolina Collection at the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill has materials that will be of interest to family historians.




The website states: This subject guide is designed to assist students, teachers, and researchers studying the history of religion in North Carolina utilizing the resources available at the North Carolina Collection in Wilson Library at the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill. This guide does not describe all of the titles on religious history in the library, but is intended to provide good starting points for research. The denominations listed below are those for which there are research materials readily available in the North Carolina Collection.

There are some great bibliographies here including a list of histories by denominations.


While this is not a website for church records, it does provide you with history that can help in your quest for church records and learning more about your ancestor.

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Church Record Sunday: Bowdoin College

Have ancestors from Maine, Massachusetts or Washington D.C.? Look towards the Bowdoin College Library, George J. Mitchell Department of Special Collections & Archives. According to their web page for Church Records they have, "The 18th and 19th century records of several Maine, Massachusetts, and Washington, D.C. churches are held by Special Collections & Archives. Some relate to churches that no longer exist; others still hold services today. These historical documents range from deeds, to detailed record books, to correspondence concerning the church's founding."

A hyperlinked list of records appears on that web page but they also encourage researchers to search their online catalog or consult their staff for additional archived materials.

2013 Top Genealogy/Family History Pinterest Boards Award

I was pleasantly surprised to see that I was named for a top 2013 Genealogy/Family History Pinterest Boards Award.

Thanks to fellow genealogist Valerie Elkins who posted her 2013  winners on her Family Cherished blog. I agree with Valerie that Pinterest is a great tool for family history.

I encourage you to check out the winner's boards for inspiration and resources.

My boards range from genealogy books to Women in WWII to other historical food and genealogy topics. Soon I will be adding more social history pins as well.

Check out how Pinterest can help you with your family history!