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MISSION
The purpose of the Archives of the Archdiocese of Hartford is
to collect, preserve, and make available for research the official
and ancillary records which reflect the work of the Catholic Church
within the Archdiocese of Hartford. Erected in accordance with
Canon 482, the archives are the direct responsibility of the Chancellor
but are administered by the Archivist who is granted canonical
faculties to fulfill this mandate. The archives seeks to promote
an understanding of the origin, history, growth, and goals of the
archdiocese as reflected in the workings of its offices, agencies,
and institutions. Official records are defined as:
All recorded information regardless of media type or characteristics,
made or received and maintained by an office, agency, or institution
in pursuance of its legal obligations or in the transaction of
its business.
It also seeks to collect, preserve, and make available for research
those records of individuals and organizations engaged in work
which reflects the ministry of the Catholic Church in the Archdiocese.
OVERVIEW OF THE COLLECTION
The Archives of the Archdiocese of Hartford adheres to the following
Record Group system:
I. Archbishops
II. Auxiliary Bishops
III. Chancery
IV. Parishes
V. Archdiocesan Offices
VI. Institutions
VII. Personal Papers
VIII. Audiovisual Materials
Please note access restrictions may apply to any of the collections.
Archival
information on Archdiocesan churches available on the web site:
Churches listed by date
of establishment.
Churches and dates of establishment listed by city.
List of merged and suppressed (closed)
parishes.
For current information on parishes, click here.
GENEALOGICAL RESEARCH
Resources available at the Archives for people working on family
histories include:
SACRAMENTAL
REGISTERS 1829-1999 [Microfilm]
Baptismal,
marriage, first communion, confirmation, and death records from
all of the 215 parishes in the Archdiocese.
A finding
aid is available. In keeping with the U.S. Census Bureau’s
guidelines regarding privacy, ALL BAPTISMAL RECORDS LESS THAN SEVENTY-TWO
YEARS OLD ARE CLOSED TO RESEARCH.
HISTORICAL RESEARCH
Researchers
utilize our collections to work on a variety of projects, including
theses & dissertations,
parish histories, scholarly works, and newspaper articles. Recent
scholarship at the archives
covered many diverse topics: Civil War chaplains, Bishop Joseph
F. Donnelly, and the history of Sacred Heart Church, Suffield.
Besides our manuscript collections, researchers are also encouraged
to utilize our secondary sources, including the following:
The
Catholic Church in Connecticut, by Rev. Thomas Duggan.
The
Catholic Transcript, 1829-present, archdiocesan newspaper
on microfilm.
Connecticut
Catholic Directory, 1954-present
Hartford’s
Catholic Legacy: Leadership, by Sr. Dolores Liptak, 2000.
Hartford’s
Catholic Legacy: Parishes, by Joseph Duffy, 1994.
The
History of the Catholic Church in the New England States,
2v., 1899.
History
of the Diocese of Hartford, by James H. O’Donnell,
1900.
Official
Catholic Directory, 1850-present.
Parish Histories.
Check with archives staff for more resources and information on
our collections.
VISITING THE ARCHIVES
RESEARCH HOURS BY APPOINTMENT ONLY:
Monday
through Friday, 8:30 a.m. - 4:30 p.m.
Closed Legal Holidays, Good Friday and Easter.
Free parking is available behind the Chancery.
FOR APPOINTMENTS:
Telephone: (860) 541-6491 ask for Archives or the Archivist, Maria
Medina.
Genealogical requests should be in writing [please, no telephone
requests], or, by appointment to visit the Archives.
FAX: (860) 541-6309
Fax requests will be answered in order of receipt, along with
regular mail.
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The new
Code of Canon Law features several canons which mandate the need
for an Archives on both the parish and diocesan levels. Canon
486.2 states that "there is to be established in a safe
place a diocesan archive...in which the instruments and writings
which refer to both the spiritual and temporal affairs of the
diocese, properly arranged and diligently secured, are to be
safeguarded." In keeping with this canon, and also the 1974
Document on Ecclesiastical Archives published by the National
Conference of Catholic Bishops, the Archdiocese of Hartford has
committed itself to the operation of a professionally managed
Archives.