Genealogical FAQ’s
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If you are seeking information on an ancestor who lived in Manhattan, the Bronx or Staten Island, please contact the Archdiocese of New York:
Sister Marguerita Smith, O.P.
Archivist of the Archdiocese of New York
St. Joseph’s Seminary
201 Seminary Avenue
Yonkers, NY 10704
(914) 476-6333
If you are seeking information on an ancestor who lived in Nassau or Suffolk Counties, please contact:
Mrs. Jean Walsh
Archivist of the Diocese of Rockville Centre
440 West Neck Road
Huntington, NY 11743
(631) 423-0491
archives@drvc.org
Where can I find sacramental records?
The sacramental records of the Diocese of Brooklyn have not been centralized. This means that you must contact the appropriate parish to obtain a sacramental record, supplying them with the name and date you want them to check. To contact the appropriate parish you will need to determine their address during the time period you are interested in.
What records do parishes have?
Canon law requires every parish to permanently keep copies of baptism, first communion, and marriages. While some parishes kept records of sick calls and funerals, this was not always the case.
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What information can I find in these records?
Baptismal records contain the following information: the name of person being baptized, his or her date of birth, date of baptism, parents’ names, sponsors, and priest officiating.
Marriage records list the bride and groom, date of wedding, witnesses, and priest officiating.
First Communion records list the name of the communicant and the date.
Confirmation records list the date, the name of the person being confirmed, the sponsor, and the presiding bishop.
I don’t know where my ancestor lived in Brooklyn. What should I do?
To determine a place of residence, I suggest that you try the following:
Search the Brooklyn City Directories found at the Municipal Archives or the Public Library.
Search for census records at the National Archives Regional Office (
www.archives.gov).
These records can also be searched at the nearest Mormon Family History Center (
www.familysearch.org)
http://www.dioceseofbrooklyn.org/about/archive/abt_arch_faqs.htm
From the above sources you should be able to determine where the individuals lived at the time you are researching. If you need more help in determining the appropriate parish, contact us.
A Note on Parishes
During the 1800’s and 1900’s two types of parishes were erected: territorial parishes and national parishes. Territorial parishes were the predominant type, covering a specific geographical area. Irish Catholics would have attended territorial parishes. National parishes were founded for Catholics of a specific nationality: e.g., German, Italian, Polish, Lithuanian, Spanish-speaking. During the twentieth century, parishes were specifically founded for African-Americans. Rather than founding parishes for new ethnic groups, parishes offer Mass in their language (some parishes have Mass in five languages!).
Unless otherwise noted, the parishes listed below were territorial parishes.
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Chapels
Sacred Heart Chapel, Carroll Gardens.
Closed 1995.
Records at St. Mary Star of the Sea, Carroll Gardens.
St. Frances Cabrini Chapel, Carroll Gardens.
Closed 1996.
Records at Sacred Hearts of Jesus Mary and St. Stephen.
St. Augustine Yu Chin-Gil Chapel
2115 61st Street
Brooklyn, NY 11204
(718) 259-5424
Our Lady of China Chapel
54-09 92nd Street
Elmhurst, NY 11373
(718) 699-1929
olcny@aol.com
www.olc.faithweb.com
Our Lady of the Skies Chapel
John F. Kennedy International Airport
Terminal #4—Fourth Floor
Jamaica, NY 11430
(718) 656-5348
Our Lady of Mount Carmel Chapel
103-56 52nd Avenue
Corona, NY 11368
(For information please contact St. Leo, Corona)
St. Raphael’s Korean Martyrs Apostolate
35-20 Greenpoint Avenue
Long Island City, NY 11101
(718) 729-2220
How do I make a records request?
If the records are at a parish, contact that parish directly. Contact information is available through the parishes section of our diocesan website. For the Chancery please contact:
R.C. Diocese of Brooklyn
Office of the Chancery
75 Greene Avenue—P.O. Box C
Brooklyn, NY 11202
(718) 399-5900
If the records are at the Archives, please contact:
R.C. Diocese of Brooklyn
Office of the Archivist
310 Prospect Park West
Brooklyn, NY 11215
(718) 965-7300
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Where can I find Orphanage Records?
The Diocesan Archives does not possess any orphanage records. Childcare institutions still in operation are St. Vincent Home (founded 1869), Guardian Angel Home (1899), and St. John’s Home (founded 1868 in Brooklyn, moved to Rockaway Beach in 1937). For St. John’s see www.stjohnsresidence.org, for St. Vincent’s see www.svs.org, and for Guardian Angel see www.mercyfirst.com.
Orphanages were run mainly by women’s religious communities. Some parishes had their own orphanages, while many convents included accommodations for a dozen or so orphans. For many years, the Sisters of St. Dominic were active in German parishes, so German-American genealogists should contact that community’s archive. Other communities active in this field were the Sisters of Charity, Sisters of St. Joseph, Sisters of Mercy and the Franciscan Brothers of Brooklyn. For further information please contact their community archives:
Archivist, Sisters of Mercy
273 Willoughby Avenue
Brooklyn, NY 11205
(718) 622-5750
www.mercymidatlantic.org
Archivist, Sisters of St. Dominic
555 Albany Avenue
Amityville, NY 11701
(631) 842-6000
www.amityvilleop.org
Archivist, Sisters of Charity
Mt. St. Vincent-on-Hudson
6301 Riverdale Ave.
Bronx, NY 10471-9930
(718) 543-4898
www.scny.org
Archivist, Sisters of St. Joseph
St. Joseph's Convent
1725 Brentwood Road
Brentwood, NY 11717
(631) 273-4531
www.sistersofstjosephbrentwoodny.org
Franciscan Brothers of Brooklyn
135 Remsen Street
Brooklyn, NY 11201-4212
(718) 858-8217
www.franciscanbrothers.org
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Where can I find Cemetery Records?
The Diocesan Archives does not possess any cemetery records. Please consult the web site for the Catholic Cemeteries Office (www.cathcemetery-bklyn.org).
Which cemeteries were used by Brooklyn Catholics?
Catholics were buried in three kinds of cemeteries: parish cemeteries, diocesan cemeteries, secular or multidenominational cemeteries in graves that have been blessed.
Parish Cemeteries (with dates of usage)
St. James Cathedral (1823 - 1849)
Most Holy Trinity (1841-present)
St. Paul, Cobble Hill (1838-?)
Our Lady of Mount Carmel, Astoria (1843-?)
St. Monica, Jamaica (no dates listed)
St. Mary Star of the Sea, Far Rockaway (cemetery in Lawrence, no dates listed)
Diocesan Cemeteries (with dates of usage)
Holy Cross, Flatbush (1849-present)
St. John, Middle Village (1880-present)
Mount St. Mary, Flushing (1862-present)
St. Charles/Resurrection Cemeteries, Farmingdale
Trinity Cemetery, Amityville
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Please Note:
Calvary Cemetery, Woodside, was established in 1849, before the Brooklyn Diocese was formed. It remains the property of the Archdiocese of New York. Record inquiries should be sent to:
Catholic Cemeteries Office
Archdiocese of New York
1011 First Avenue
New York, NY 10022
(212) 371-1000
www.archny.org
For cemeteries in the Rockville Centre Diocese please contact:
Office of Catholic Cemeteries
P.O. Box 182
Westbury, NY 11590
phone: (516) 334-7990
www.holyroodcemetery.org
Contacting the Diocese of Brooklyn Archives
Before researching your request, we ask that you send a donation of at least $25.00 to defray the cost of researching your request. Please make your check or money order payable to “R.C. Diocese of Brooklyn” and mail it to the following address:
R.C. Diocese of Brooklyn
Office of the Archivist
310 Prospect Park West
Brooklyn, NY 11215
Contacting Other Diocesan Archives
Not every diocesan archives has a website, but the best way to find out is to check the diocesan website first. A good way to find diocesan websites is by going to the website of the United States Conference of Catholic Bishops (www.nccbuscc.org).
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