Parish History Collection

The Parish History Collection consists of published parish histories as well as other printed material and ephemera relating to a particular parish. The amount and kind of material varies by parish.

At this time, complete inventories are available only for parishes in the state of Pennsylvania. Inquiries on parishes outside of Pennsylvania can be made by phone or e-mail. Some material for parishes outside of Pennsylvania may be found in the Pamphlet Collection.

Parish Calendar Collection

This collection contains Monthly Parish Calendars for over three hundred parishes. The date range for most is from about 1920 to 1955. Most of the calendars are those from parishes currently located within the Archdiocese of Philadelphia.  Others are from parishes located in surrounding dioceses.

The Parish Calendars are similar to current parish bulletins in that they contain such information as parish events as well as marriage and death announcements. Unlike the weekly bulletins, however, the calendars were printed monthly and include much more content, providing parish history information, including reprinted articles and editorials.

Parish histories and calendars can prove useful for researchers interested in the history of a parish as well as for those conducting genealogical research. For social and cultural historians, they offer a glimpse into parish, and more broadly, Catholic life.

Search the collections via our online catalog.

View a complete list of parishes, both active and closed, located within the Archdiocese:

Alphabetical Index to Parishes

        Chronology of Parish Foundations

See the research guide  for information on conducting parish history research.