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Welcome to the Archives of the Archdiocese of St. Louis. The Archives is the official repository for the records of the Archdiocese of St. Louis.   It serves as the memory of the established Catholic Church in this area. The Archives is centrally located at the Cardinal Rigali Center where materials are properly cared for in a climate-controlled environment. The Archives supports the larger mission of the Archdiocese through the following mission.


Mission

As the Archdiocese of St. Louis is called by our Lord Jesus Christ to be His Church and live His gospel, the Archives Office is called to be a responsible steward of Church records. The Archives provides a professional repository that identifies and collects, organizes and preserves, and provides access to all historically and canonically significant, non-current documents, artifacts and other works of enduring value pertaining to the operation of the Archdiocese, its parishes, agencies, institutions and people. The Archives makes available and extends its materials to researchers as permitted by canon law, civil law and conservation considerations.
 

Archdiocesan Support

The Archdiocesan Archives is a service organization that exists first and foremost for its usefulness to the archdiocesan administration. It is the primary purpose of the archival function to assist the Archbishop, Chancery, and all offices and agencies of the Archdiocese with the information necessary to fulfill their responsibilities. As the corporate archives of the Archdiocese, the Archives receive deposits from the various agencies, ministries and parishes as well as the chancery. The Archives assists units identify records of enduring value, historical information in the making, obtain access to historical records and organize files to maximize space and optimize the time necessary to retreive information.


Sacramental Records

Baptism and marriage records of the Roman Catholic Church are iterative. The baptism register not only baptism information but confirmation, marriage, religious vows and holy orders. Marriage records include subsequent annulment information. Canon 535 currently requires each parish to permanently retain baptism, confirmation, marriage and death registers. The Statutes of the Archdiocese of St. Louis require the retention of the First Communion register. The Archives staff update the registers of closed parishes and issue current certificates to individuals named in the records of closed parishes. Records prior to 1930 are considered historical records and do not require a signed release from the person named in the record, to obtain a copy.

History and Genealogy

The Archives makes the heritage of the Archdiocese of St. Louis available to historical researchers within the guidelines of civil and canon law. The Archives staff view genealogical research as a legitimate and important effort in assisting individuals to place themselves and their families within the context of the history of the church. Staff will assist these researchers within the constraints of available financial, equipment, space and staff resources. The Archives is committed to the promotion of education, exhibit and other outreach activities.  In so doing, the Archives strives to promote the study and understanding of local church history and traditions within the context of the larger American culture.

I hope you will take the time to explore the resources available and to learn more about our programs and services. We value your comments and suggestions.

Thank you for visiting the Archives of the Archdiocese of St. Louis.

Audrey P. Newcomer, M.S., M.P.A., C.A., Director