The Diocese of Saint John is the seventh oldest Roman Catholic
diocese in Canada. Established in 1842, the Diocese originally embraced
the entire province of New Brunswick and the Madawaska region of the
adjacent State of Maine. Currently, the Diocese of Saint John serves New
Brunswick’s eight predominantly English-speaking counties: Saint John,
Kings, Queens, Sunbury, York, Charlotte, Carleton and Northumberland.
Largely as a result of the explosion of interest in genealogy at the
end of the 1970s, Bishop Arthur J. Gilbert established the Diocesan
Archives as a publicly-accessible research facility. Peter D. Murphy
served as the first Diocesan Archivist. The Archives—currently housed in
the Diocesan Services Building in Uptown Saint John—house most of the
extant PRE-1900 sacramental records for the parishes and regions
currently served by the Diocese. Except for records of interment,
all POST-1900 records must be obtained directly from the parish or
mission in which the sacrament was administered. The oldest extant
sacramental records are those of Bartibogue, on the Miramichi, which
begin in 1801. Baptismal and marriage records for the Saint John area
begin in 1812, for the Fredericton and Charlotte County areas in 1827,
the Woodstock region in 1842, and the missions of Kings County in 1845.
Family Group Sheets
Over the course of more
than twenty years, Diocesan Archivist, Mary Kilfoil McDevitt, has
painstakingly transcribed virtually all pre 1900 sacramental records
onto several hundred thousand Family Group Sheets. These
sheets constitute the Archives’ single most consulted source, making it
possible—in a matter of minutes—to determine where and when any given
couple was married and if that couple had a child or children Baptized
anywhere in the Diocese. Even a quick glace at any one of the dozens of
meticulously organized binders which line the shelves of Archives’
research area make it clear that a very large number of couples left the
Diocese shortly after marrying (almost always for the adjacent “Boston
States”). As Ms. McDevitt observes, “What has also emerged from this
ongoing project could be termed ‘context’, a look at the big picture.
It affords not merely lists of names and dates, but glimpses of a
culture, of a specific time and place in history. It humanizes the
‘mountain of names.’ ” While many of the records of the Diocese of
Saint John are available to on-line researchers as part of the Drouin
Collection, this invaluable collection of Group Sheets (and the
accompanying maiden-name index) remain available only on site at the
Saint John facility.
Additional Resources
The Diocesan Archives
also houses a complete set of microfilmed editions of The New
Freeman—the Diocesan newspaper published since 1900—together with a
complete card index of “Freeman” obituaries and marriages. The Diocesan
Archives also houses the correspondence of all deceased and/or retired
Bishops as well as extensive biographical and historical files on the
clergy and parishes of the Diocese; numerous pew rent books,
subscription and membership lists and minute books (all of which contain
valuable biographical tidpits).
The Archives of the Diocese of
Saint John, are located on the ground floor of the Diocesan Centre at
One Bayard Street—a stone's throw from the Cathedral of the Immaculate
Conception in Uptown Saint John. Free parking is available at the front
of the building and a large lot at the side of the building provides
additional free parking (even for RV's). The Diocesan Centre is within
walking distance of uptown hotels and restaurants. The exit into the
city off the Saint John throughway (Route 1) is Exit 123.
From
September to mid-June, the Archives are open 1:30 to 4:30, Monday
through Thursday. During those months, the archives are run as a
one-person operation and occasional closures are, therefore, inevitable.
Though drop-ins are welcome, Ms. McDevitt advises that, if possible,
visitors book an appointment for in-office research. While the archives
do not charge a set fee for the use of the facility, donations are
gratefully accepted.
Contact Information
Mary Kilfoil McDevitt,
M.A.
Diocesan Archives,
One Bayard Drive
Saint John NB
E2L
3l5
Canada
Tel: (506) 653-6807
E-Mail: archives@dioceseofsaintjohn.org