Archives Re-Opening
Beginning January 5, 2009, the Archdiocesan Archives will resume limited services.
The Archives will be open to phone, mail, and fax requests for:
Appointments to the Archives are required and must be scheduled in advance. The Pastoral Center has enacted new security procedures for admittance. (click on Contact/Hours)
Due to internal restructuring/staff reduction during relocation to the new Pastoral Center, services will be restricted and response time for requests may take upward of three months or longer.
Additional information to follow at a later date.
*The Archdiocesan Archives Has Moved
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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 stipulation, and also the
1974 Document on Ecclesiastical Archives published by the National Conference
of Catholic Bishops, the Archdiocese of Boston has committed itself to the
operation of a professionally-managed Archives.
The Archdiocesan Archives exists to collect, preserve, and make available
all records of significant value which pertain to the Catholic Church in
Boston. It is regarded by many as a dependable resource for those interested
in the history and culture of Catholicism in Boston and New England as
a whole.
As a private institutional archives, our first duty is to the Archdiocese
of Boston -- the Archbishop and Chancery. Some records may have access
restrictions imposed by Canon Law and local policy. Accomodations can be
made for visits by historical and genealogical researchers, by appointment
only.
This Web Site is provided as a service to assist researchers in their
preliminary inquiries to the Archives. It is not a substitute for a visit
to the Archives, but will aid the researcher in determining the potential
success of a visit.
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