Archives
About
The Archival Office of the Chancery (known under an unofficial name of the Archives of the Archdiocese of San Francisco) is the official repository for the records of the Archbishop of San Francisco and the Chancery. Its purpose is to support the Archbishop, the Chancery, the Parishes in our shared mission to facilitate and cultivate an encounter with the person of Jesus Christ and His Church.
About the Collections
Our collections reflex the activity of the former Archbishops and the Chancery related to San Francisco, San Mateo, and Marin counties.
Documents related to the areas that were formerly part of the Archdiocese of San Francisco—such as Oakland, Sacramento, San Jose, Santa Rosa, and Stockton—are held by those respective dioceses.
We do not hold documentation of any religious orders and institutions operated by them in the Archdiocese like orphanages, schools and hospitals. The Sisters and Fathers hold their own archives and should be contacted directly.
Cemeteries keep their own records and should be contacted directly: https://sfcathcems.org/
Contact
NOTICE: To answer your inquiry precisely, we need your request in writing. Please send us an email. We might not be able to answer inquiries over the phone or left as a voicemail. If you do not like email, send us a traditional paper letter instead of calling.
Our postal address:
320 Middlefield Rd.
Menlo Park, CA 94025
Phone: (650) 328-6502
Digitized Collections
Audiovisual Collection: A selection of unique and original audiovisual materials from our Archives were digitized for their future preservation and made available for viewing online through the California State Library grant initiative, California Revealed.
MONITOR NEWSPAPER: The Monitor newspaper was the official publication of the Archdiocese of San Francisco from 1858 to 1984. Select issues have been digitized and made available online through the Catholic News Archive from 1871 to 1965. In addition, broken series are available for the years 1861-1888 on the Internet Archive.
How do I receive a certificate of my baptism, marriage, or confirmation?
Sacramental certificates are issued by a Parish where you received that sacrament. Find a Parish at Directory of the Archdiocese.
Some Parishes were closed. The sacramental registers were transferred to a Parish nearby. Find where in Directory of the Archdiocese.
For the list of all parishes in the Archdiocese of San Francisco and their contact information please see the Archdiocesan Catholic Directory on pages 34 to 67. The Directory provides information about the year of establishment of each parish as well is the current territory of each parish.
No central databases for baptisms, marriages, etc. exist; therefore, parish offices must be contacted directly.
In exceptional cases—such as marriage preparation—if you do not know where you were baptized, we can assist you. Please email us
Historical Sacramental Registers
If you are researching your family history and your Catholic ancestors lived in San Francisco and the extended Bay Area, we can search their baptism and marriage records for a fee. Please fill out this form: Sacramental Record
About the collections
The collections include original and unique historical materials dating from the era of the early California missions up to contemporary times. They cover significant periods of growth, expansion, and change in both the Church and the local regions. The main types of records are: Early Records; Chancery Records; General Correspondence; Archbishops and Auxiliaries; Departments of the Archdiocese; and Special Collections.
Collection Guides
Guides to our collections are published to the Online Archive of California and with additional ones continually being added.
Digitized Collections
Audiovisual Collection: A selection of unique and original audiovisual materials from our Archives were digitized for their future preservation and made available for viewing online through the California State Library grant initiative, California Revealed.
Monitor Newspaper: The Monitor newspaper was the official publication of the Archdiocese of San Francisco from 1858 to 1984. Select issues have been digitized and made available online through the Catholic News Archive from 1871 to 1965. In addition, broken series are available for the years 1861-1888 on the Internet Archive.
Sacramental Records
The Archives do not keep sacramental registers. Please contact the parish offices directly with any inquiries about sacramental records. No central databases for baptisms, marriages, etc. exist; therefore, parish offices must be contacted directly. For the list of all parishes in the Archdiocese of San Francisco and their contact information please see the Archdiocesan Catholic Directory on pages 34 to 67. The Directory provides information about the year of establishment of each parish as well is the current territory of each parish. The Directory also lists closed parishes with information about the current location of their sacramental registers.
Click here to view the history of the first 150 years of the Archdiocese of San Francisco.