ARCHIVES AND RECORDS MANAGEMENT

Research at the Archives

SCHOLARLY RESEARCH REQUESTS

The Archdiocese of San Antonio Archives is a closed archive and use of the archive is a privilege accorded to the public by ecclesiastical authority and can be revoked at the will of the Most Reverend Archbishop of San Antonio.

All requestors must submit a signed Research Request Form, emails and phone calls will not be accepted. Requests will be reviewed by the Director of Archives and Records Management and the Chancellor for acceptability before being granted access. Many of the materials contain private and sensitive materials that are confidential and may remain closed to researchers permanently or for a specific period.

Approved requests must be reviewed by the Archivist and will be scheduled after requests for the administration have been fulfilled. Requests may be delayed due to ongoing projects or requests by the administration and parishes along with daily duties. Please plan accordingly.

PARISH RESEARCH REQUESTS

Parish staff or lay persons requesting research in the archives should first utilize the parish archive resources before submitting a request. Parish researchers must submit a signed Parish Research Request Form and have it signed by the parish pastor. We will not accept research that is not approved by the parish pastor.

GENEALOGICAL RESEARCH

The Archdiocese of San Antonio Archives and Records Management office receives a high number of genealogical research requests. In order to address these requests, the Archdiocese of San Antonio is now able to provide online access to approved sacramental records for research through Ancestry.com. We encourage all researchers to utilize the online resource for searching for their families. The information found in the sacramental records is the primary source of information parishes use to create certificates. Certificates for sacramental records of persons deceased will not be created. Please do not contact the Archives or Parishes to request certificates for deceased persons. 

If you donā€™t have access to Ancestry.com, please check your local library to see if they provide access. For further help, please download the guide,   Archdiocese of San Antonio Records Available to the Public Online, on how to access these records, and for local organizations that can provide genealogical assistance to further your research.

Contact Us

Location
2718 W. Woodlawn Ave.
San Antonio, Texas 78228
(210) 734-1959

Elvira Sanchez Kisser
Director of Archives and Records Management