FAQ
Q: How can I discover what materials are in PAHRC’s collection?
Q: How can I access PAHRC’s collection from off-site?
Q: Have any of the materials from the collection been digitized?
Q: What genealogical services does PAHRC offer?
Q: Do you have school records?
Q: Do you have orphanage records?
Q: Is The Catholic Standard and Times, or any other newspaper in the collection, indexed?
Q: Does the Archives accept donations of materials?
Q: Does PAHRC offer monetary appraisals?
____________________________________________________________________________
Q: How can I discover what materials are in PAHRC’s collection?
A: Researchers are encouraged to peruse the website for summaries of information about the various collections and materials held by the PAHRC. Information about a significant portion of the printed materials in the collection can be found by searching the online catalog. The catalog contains information about books, pamphlets, periodicals, newspapers, institutions, associations, and parish history materials. Although some finding aids can be accessed through the website, staff members are currently working to provide more information concerning our manuscript collections. Contact PAHRC for specific inquiries.
Q: How can I access PAHRC’s collection from off-site?
A: Researchers can search the online catalog for books, pamphlets, periodicals, newspapers, institutions, associations, and parish history materials. More information is continually being added to the catalog.
PAHRC offers services for researchers who are unable to visit. While there is no fee for quick reference questions that require no research, general (non-genealogical) research questions can be handled by skilled staff members for a fee of $25.00 for up to one hour. This includes the cost of up to 10 photocopies and postage. Extra charges will be applied for additional hours and/or copies. General research requests requiring more than 3 hours of research cannot be performed by PAHRC staff.
Q: Have any of the materials from the collection been digitized?
A: Although some finding aids for the bishops’ papers are available on our website, we have not, as of yet, digitized any materials or manuscript collections. However, PAHRC has recently partnered with Villanova University’s Falvey Library and its digitalLIBRARY project. Falvey Library is currently in the process of digitizing materials from our collection, the majority of which relate to Irish American history. Most notable is our entire collection of Redpath’s Weekly Journal, the Fenian Brotherhood papers and materials relating to the Molly Maguires, the Nativist Riots of 1844 and the Irish Catholic Benevolent Union. PAHRC materials at Villanova’s digitalLIBRARY can be found here.
Q: What genealogical services does PAHRC offer?
A: Because sacramental (baptismal and marriage) records are closed to the public, genealogical staff will conduct research for pre-1920 records for a fee of $25 for the first hour and $25 for each additional hour. All records after 1920 must be obtained from the individual parish. Researchers can find additional information as well as baptismal and marriage request forms under the Genealogy section of this website. Due to the amount of requests that are received, researchers can expect to receive results within 4-6 weeks.
There is no diocesan-wide index to the records. Thus, the most important piece of information you can provide is to indicate where a family lived, thereby establishing the correct parish. Also, please note that PAHRC does not hold death or burial records.
Q: Do you have school records?
A: Although PAHRC has some administrative matrials concerning Archdiocesan schools as well as information regarding the history of some educational institutions, PAHRC does not have school records. Researchers should contact individual parishes or schools for information.
Q: Do you have orphanage records?
A: The Archives does have some orphanage/ industrial school records, including the admission records for St. John’s Orphan Asylum dating from 1845 to 1970, St. Joseph’s House for Homeless Industrious Boys (Philadelphia) dating from 1904 to 1940, and St. Francis Industrial/Vocational School (Eddington) dating from 1888 to 1970. More information about orphanage records is provided in the Genealogy section of this website. Please note that records after 1930 will only be provided to those reseachers seeking their own records who can provide proof of identity.
We have no records for any girls’ orphanages.
Q: Is The Catholic Standard and Times, or any other newspaper in the collection, indexed?
A: The Archives maintains a large collection of U.S. Catholic newspapers, dating primarily from the 19th century, including an almost complete run of official Philadelphia Diocesan newspapers up to the current Archdiocesan paper, The Catholic Standard and Times. None of these newspapers have been indexed for historical or genealogical purposes. Researchers will need to provide an exact or near exact date for staff to locate specific articles or information.
PAHRC does, however, have a scrapbook collection, dating from 1865-1970, with area newspaper clippings about Catholic events relating to the Archdiocese. These scrapbooks are indexed. It should be noted that the scrapbooks covering events after c. 1930 are not as comprehensive as those covering previous years.
Q: Does the Archives accept donations of materials?
A: In addition to serving as the archives of the Archdiocese of Philadelphia, the PAHRC also collects the records of Catholic institutions, organizations, associations and individuals. The types of records we are interested in include financial, administrative and legal records, minute books, letters, journals and diaries, scrapbooks, photographs, artifacts, books, pamphlets and other materials that pertain to the history, development and practice of the Catholic church in Southeastern Pennsylvania..
If you are interested in donating materials to the PAHRC, please contact us to discuss the types of material you have, identify which are appropriate for preservation in the PAHRC and to arrange transfer of the material.
Q: Does PAHRC offer monetary appraisals?
A: PAHRC is unable to offer monetary appraisals. A list of appraisers is available through the Appraisers Association of America, or refer to your local Yellow Pages.