Today we have 13 new and updated volumes for the Massachusetts: Roman Catholic Archdiocese of Boston Records, 1789-1920. Today’s additions include St. Augustine and Saints Peter and Paul, both in South Boston. This update includes 11 volumes, 1,400 pages, and 111,000 searchable names.
St. Augustine’s Chapel in South Boston dates to 1819, built to accompany the purchase of a Catholic cemetery in South Boston. It is the oldest Catholic structure in Massachusetts. Catholics worshiped there until the congregation grew big enough to build another church (Saints Peter and Paul). The old chapel fell out of regular use. By 1868 the Catholic population continued to grow, so that they were again in need of another church. The pastor suggested that the old chapel be used until a new church could be built. The first Mass in the new church was offered in 1871, and they named the new parish in honor of the old chapel.
In 1848 Saints Peter and Paul’s church was almost completely destroyed by fire. The reconstruction took until 1853. On Thanksgiving Day in 1853 the impressive new Goth structure was opened. The grand ceremony had forty priests and the Bishops of Albany and Hartford in attendance of the service led by Bishop Fitzpatrick.
The new volumes are listed below. Volumes with an asterisk (*) have been updated. Previously they were truncated to only display records from before January 1, 1901. Now they are presented on our site either in their complete form or with the records up through December 31, 1920:
• St. Augustine (South Boston) Baptisms, 1899-1912 *
• St. Augustine (South Boston) Baptisms, 1912-1916 (Part 1)
• St. Augustine (South Boston) Baptisms, 1916-1919 (Part 2)
• St. Augustine (South Boston) Baptisms, 1919-1920 (Part 3)
• St. Augustine (South Boston) Confirmations, 1896-1917 *
• St. Augustine (South Boston) Confirmations, 1919-1920
• St. Augustine (South Boston) First Communions, 1919-1920
• St. Augustine (South Boston) Marriages, 1900-1913 *
• St. Augustine (South Boston) Marriages, 1913-1920
• Sts. Peter and Paul (South Boston) Baptisms, 1911-1916
• Sts. Peter and Paul (South Boston) Baptisms, 1917-1920
• Sts. Peter and Paul (South Boston) Confirmations, 1910-1920
• Sts. Peter and Paul (South Boston) Marriages, 1910-1920
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