Ask a Genealogist

Question: I am doing research for a friend whose great grandmother spent time in the St. Ann's French Canadian Orphanage in Worcester.  Is there any way to get records from the orphanage?

Answer: The orphanage was established in 1891 and was located at 133 Granite St., until it closed in the 1980’s.  The order of the Sister’s of Charity of Montreal, known as the “Grey Nuns” have an office in Lexington, Massachusetts.  They informed me that any records they had were sent to the Archdiocese archives of Worcester. Another source I located stated that all the early record’s were destroyed in a fire in the 1940’s.  You can contact the Archives of the Worcester Archdiocese online at: http://www.worcesterdiocese.org/, or call (508) 791-7171.