Author Archive
Today we’ve added five new volumes to Massachusetts: Roman Catholic Archdiocese of Boston Records, 1789-1920 from Sacred Heart in Lowell and St. Joachim in Rockport. This update adds over 9,000 records and over 34,300 names to search.
In 1884, the Catholics of Lowell determined they needed another parish to minister to the faithful in that city. They began building Sacred Heart (Lowell), although in 1895 at the publishing of James S. Sullivan’s One Hundred Years of Progress, only the basement of the church was complete. Page 331 of that volume contains an extensive description of the parish boundaries as they stood at that time.
As early as 1856, Catholics were worshiping in Rockport. Prior to the establishment of St. Joachim’s, Catholics would travel to Salem or Gloucester for church. Our records below begin in 1870.
We’d like to thank Sam Sturgis for his help making these parishes available online.
The new volumes are listed below:
Sacred Heart (Lowell) Baptisms, 1884-1900
Sacred Heart (Lowell) Deaths, 1890-1898
Sacred Heart (Lowell) Marriages, 1884-1905
St. Joachim (Rockport) Baptisms, 1870-1905
St. Joachim (Rockport) Marriages, 1870-1904
Please note: This database is available to Individual-level and above NEHGS members only. Consider membership.
Today we’ve added six new volumes to Massachusetts: Roman Catholic Archdiocese of Boston Records, 1789-1920 from Gate of Heaven in South Boston. This update adds over 51,200 records and over 169,000 names to search.
Gate of Heaven is located on the corner of E. 4th and I Streets in South Boston. It grew out of Sts. Peter and Paul parish in 1862. In 1865 it became an independent parish.
We’d like to thank Sam Sturgis for his help making this parish available online.
The new volumes are listed below:
Gate of Heaven (South Boston) Baptisms, 1866-1883
Gate of Heaven (South Boston) Baptisms, 1884-1898
Gate of Heaven (South Boston) Baptisms, 1898-1900
Gate of Heaven (South Boston) Baptisms, 1900-1913
Gate of Heaven (South Boston) First Communions and Confirmations, 1873-1908
Gate of Heaven (South Boston) Marriages, 1885-1902
Please note: This database is available to Individual-level and above NEHGS members only. Consider membership.
Today we’ve added seven new volumes to Massachusetts: Roman Catholic Archdiocese of Boston Records, 1789-1920 from St. Peter in Plymouth. This update adds over 7,852 records and over 31,132 names to search.
In James S. Sullivan’s One Hundred Years of Progress, the Plymouth entry begins with a lengthy comparison of the Pilgrims with the first Catholics of Plymouth, both groups looking for religious freedom. However, the Catholic church in Plymouth began much later than the arrival of the Pilgrims–in 1873 the cornerstone for this church was laid. It began as a mission of St. Bridget’s in Abington and became its own parish in 1876.
We’d like to thank Sam Sturgis for his help making this parish available online.
The new volumes are listed below:
St. Peter (Plymouth) Baptisms, 1872-1899
St. Peter (Plymouth) Baptisms, 1899-1906
St. Peter (Plymouth) Convert Baptisms, 1881-1914
St. Peter (Plymouth) Baptisms and Marriages, 1873-1875
St. Peter (Plymouth) Baptisms and Marriages, 1873-1879
St. Peter (Plymouth) First Communions and Confirmations
St. Peter (Plymouth) Marriages, 1879-1912
Please note: This database is available to Individual-level and above NEHGS members only. Consider membership.
Today we’ve added eight new volumes to Massachusetts: Roman Catholic Archdiocese of Boston Records, 1789-1920 from Mary Immaculate of Lourdes (Newton) and Our Lady of the Holy Rosary (South Boston). This update adds over 16,700 records and over 69,400 names to search.
Before Newton had a church, Catholics in this area attended St. Patrick’s in Watertown. In the 1860s, St. Mary’s (which would become Mary Immaculate of Lourdes) began to coalesce as a mission. In 1870 it became its own parish.
Our Lady of the Holy Rosary was created in 1884 in South Boston out of land that had formerly been part of Sts. Peter and Paul parish.
We’d like to thank Sam Sturgis for his help making this parish available online.
The new volumes are listed below:
Mary Immaculate of Lourdes (Newton) Baptisms, 1871-1893
Mary Immaculate of Lourdes (Newton) Baptisms, 1883-1907
Mary Immaculate of Lourdes (Newton) Baptisms, 1908-1920
Mary Immaculate of Lourdes (Newton) Baptisms, 1920
Mary Immaculate of Lourdes (Newton) Marriages, 1871-1920
Our Lady of the Holy Rosary (South Boston) Baptisms, 1884-1896
Our Lady of the Holy Rosary (South Boston) Baptisms, 1897-1911
Our Lady of the Holy Rosary (South Boston) Marriages, 1884-1907
Please note: This database is available to Individual-level and above NEHGS members only. Consider membership.
Today we’ve added twenty new volumes to Massachusetts: Roman Catholic Archdiocese of Boston Records, 1789-1920 from St. Mary in Marlborough. This update adds over 15,900 records and over 51,600 names to search.
St. Mary’s in Marlborough grew out of the parish of Immaculate Conception–it became the French Canadian church in this area. This congregation gained autonomy in 1870 and continued to grow.
We’d like to thank many volunteers for their help making this parish available online, especially those who are familiar with the French language. The following volunteers have contributed to this parish: Matthew Murphy, Sandy Caldwell, Michelle Kearns, Alayna Travaglione, Julia Payne, Diane Kimball, Kathleen Moineau, Bob Rainville, Judy Welna, Stacey-Rae McCue, Kathleen Oberley, Pat Harney, Laura Versmee, Toni Lattimer, Francois Lemaistre, Arlys LaFehr, Sarah Collins, Pat Snyder, Loretta Brown-Aldrich, Frederique van Moortel, Janet Essency, Lisa Elvin-Staltari, Gersende Kruzik, Christopher Semamz, Mouna Blila, Debbie Lansing, Paul McCool, Eileen McCarthy, Angela Napolitano, Meredith Madyda, Maureen Keillor, Mary Coyne, and Erin Lichtenstein.
The new volumes are listed below:
St. Mary (Marlborough) Baptisms, 1854-1861
St. Mary (Marlborough) Baptisms, 1862-1865
St. Mary (Marlborough) Baptisms, 1865-1866
St. Mary (Marlborough) Baptisms, 1866-1868
St. Mary (Marlborough) Baptisms, 1868-1869
St. Mary (Marlborough) Baptisms, 1870-1880
St. Mary (Marlborough) Baptisms, 1881-1890
St. Mary (Marlborough) Baptisms, 1890-1896
St. Mary (Marlborough) Baptisms, 1896-1905
St. Mary (Marlborough) Confirmations and Deaths, 1871-1880
St. Mary (Marlborough) Confirmations, 1871-1890
St. Mary (Marlborough) Confirmations, 1890-1919
St. Mary (Marlborough) Deaths, 1882-1884
St. Mary (Marlborough) Deaths, 1884-1886
St. Mary (Marlborough) Deaths, 1886-1888
St. Mary (Marlborough) Deaths, 1888-1893
St. Mary (Marlborough) Deaths, 1898-1914
St. Mary (Marlborough) Marriages, 1858-1869
St. Mary (Marlborough) Marriages, 1870-1892
St. Mary (Marlborough) Marriages, 1894-1895
Please note: This database is available to Individual-level and above NEHGS members only. Consider membership.
Today we’ve added six new volumes to Massachusetts: Roman Catholic Archdiocese of Boston Records, 1789-1920 from St. Francis de Sales in Roxbury. This update adds over 52,100 records and over 187,000 names to search.
St. Francis de Sales was located on Vernon Street in between the modern Orange Line T stops Ruggles and Roxbury Crossing. The parish began around 1861; the church building was established in 1867.
We’d like to thank Sam Sturgis for his help making this parish available online.
The new volumes are listed below:
St. Francis de Sales (Roxbury) Baptisms, 1861-1874
St. Francis de Sales (Roxbury) Baptisms, 1874-1888
St. Francis de Sales (Roxbury) Baptisms, 1888-1896
St. Francis de Sales (Roxbury) Baptisms, 1897-1904
St. Francis de Sales (Roxbury) Confirmations, 1876-1920
St. Francis de Sales (Roxbury) Marriages, 1861-1913
Please note: This database is available to Individual-level and above NEHGS members only. Consider membership.
Today we’ve added eleven new volumes to Massachusetts: Roman Catholic Archdiocese of Boston Records, 1789-1920 from Sacred Heart (East Boston) and St. Gregory (Dorchester). This update adds over 45,100 records and over 150,200 names to search.
The first Mass was said in Sacred Heart (East Boston) in 1873.
The congregation that would become St. Gregory’s began to coalesce around 1863 from an area that formerly belonged to the parish of Sts. Peter and Paul in South Boston. The initial territory of this parish was quite large–before the year 1900, it was already divided at least five times. Some territory was given to the parishes in Hyde Park and Quincy and new churches were started in Dorchester including St. Peter, St. Ann, and St. Matthew.
We’d like to thank volunteers Julie Bliss-Hammons, Stacey-Rae McCue, Toni Lattimer, Arlys LaFehr, Fran Weaver, Sandy Caldwell, Judy Welna, Nancy Johnson, Marie Wells, Kiera Breitenbach , Alayna Travaglione, Holly Caughlan, Barbara Macken , Bob Rainville, Carolyn Jack , Kathleen Oberley , Meghan McDonagh , Matthew Murphy , Eldon Gay , Mary Alice Yost, Maureen McCarthy , Rick Lagueux, Katherine Marshall-Mayer, Jane Papa, Kayla Hinrichsen, Susan Dickinson, Sandy Murphy Mauer, Angela Napolitano, Paul McCool, Diane Rogers, Mary Coyne, Meredith Madyda, Eileen McCarthy, and Sam Sturgis for their help making these parishes available on our site.
The new volumes are listed below:
Sacred Heart (East Boston) Baptisms and Confirmations, 1873-1895
Sacred Heart (East Boston) Baptisms, 1896-1906
Sacred Heart (East Boston) Confirmations, 1896-1920
Sacred Heart (East Boston) Marriages, 1874-1906
St. Gregory (Dorchester) Baptisms, 1859-1871
St. Gregory (Dorchester) Baptisms, 1872-1875
St. Gregory (Dorchester) Baptisms, 1876-1895
St. Gregory (Dorchester) Baptisms, 1896-1913
St. Gregory (Dorchester) Confirmations, 1866-1920
St. Gregory (Dorchester) Marriages, 1863-1875
St. Gregory (Dorchester) Marriages, 1876-1913
Please note: This database is available to Individual-level and above NEHGS members only. Consider membership.
Today we’ve added ten new volumes to Massachusetts: (Image-Only) Roman Catholic Archdiocese of Boston Records, 1789-1920 from Our Lady of Good Voyage (Gloucester) and St. Joseph (Lynn). This update adds over 2,300 new pages to browse.
In 1888, the Catholics of Gloucester, largely of Portuguese descent, many from the Azores established the need for their own parish. Work began on their church building in 1875.
St. Joseph (Lynn) began as an offshoot of St. Mary (Lynn) in 1875; the cornerstone of the church was laid on the 4th of July of that year.
We’d like to thank volunteers Ross Weaver, Bill Wolfendale, and Kim Bonner for their help making this update possible.
If you need help navigating this collection, please consult our how-to video. The new volumes are listed below:
Our Lady of Good Voyage (Gloucester) Baptisms, 1891-1913
Our Lady of Good Voyage (Gloucester) Baptisms, 1913-1920
Our Lady of Good Voyage (Gloucester) Confirmations, 1898-1908
Our Lady of Good Voyage (Gloucester) Marriages, 1890-1920
St. Joseph (Lynn) Baptisms, 1874-1899
St. Joseph (Lynn) Baptisms, 1900-1920
St. Joseph (Lynn) Confirmations, 1877-1920
St. Joseph (Lynn) Index to Baptisms, 1900-1920
St. Joseph (Lynn) Marriages, 1874-1908
St. Joseph (Lynn) Marriages, 1920
Please note: This database is available to all NEHGS members. Learn more about becoming a NEHGS guest member (free).
Today we’ve added ten new volumes to Massachusetts: Roman Catholic Archdiocese of Boston Records, 1789-1920 from St. Patrick (Roxbury). This update adds over 72,600 records and over 270,400 names to search.
St. Patrick’s was established in 1836 to serve the Catholics of “Roxbury, Brookline, and Brighton” (Sullivan, p. 49). Originally the church was situated a little south of the South End, on Northampton Street in between Washington Street and Harrison Avenue. In the 1870s as the Catholic population grew, parish boundaries shifted. A new church (still in use) was built further south at the intersection of Dudley and Magazine Streets. The building of the new church began in 1873. The approximate location of the old church is about a 15 minute walk from the new church today. Below I’m including a map which shows the approximate locations of each church (again, the Northampton Street address is an estimate based on the description given in James Sullivan’s One Hundred Years of Progress).
We’d like to thank volunteers Sandy Caldwell, Matthew Murphy, Judy Welna, Pat Harney, Sarah Collins, Holly Caughlan, Tim Belgrad, Marie Wells, Kathleen Oberley, Gig Moineau, Nancy Johnson, Loretta Brown-Aldrich, Bob Rainville, Jeananne Piper Grady, Lauren Jefferson, Arlys LaFehr, Carolyn Jack, Fran Weaver, Rick Lagueux, Toni Lattimer, Michelle Kearns, Amelia Devin Freedman, Alayna Travaglione, Katherine Marshall-Mayer, Liz Barnett, Mary Coyne, Jim Alcauskas, Eileen McCarthy, Meredith Madyda, Maureen Keillor, Paul McCool, Sam Sturgis and Angela Napolitano for their help making this parish available on our site.
The new volumes are listed below:
St. Patrick (Roxbury) Baptisms, 1836-1852
St. Patrick (Roxbury) Baptisms, 1852-1858
St. Patrick (Roxbury) Baptisms, 1858-1871
St. Patrick (Roxbury) Baptisms, 1872-1882
St. Patrick (Roxbury) Baptisms, 1883-1890
St. Patrick (Roxbury) Baptisms, 1890-1906
St. Patrick (Roxbury) Confirmations, 1871-1894
St. Patrick (Roxbury) Confirmations, 1894-1920
St. Patrick (Roxbury) Marriages, 1836-1881
St. Patrick (Roxbury) Marriages, 1881-1902
Please note: This database is available to Individual-level and above NEHGS members only. Consider membership.
Today we’ve added six new volumes to Massachusetts: Roman Catholic Archdiocese of Boston Records, 1789-1920 from Our Lady of Perpetual Help (Roxbury). This update adds over 21,300 records and over 76,700 names to search.
The original Our Lady of Perpetual Help church was blessed in 1871, founded by the Redemptorists. It was a mission church, meaning that they only provided the sacraments of communion and reconciliation. As the Catholic population in Mission Hill grew, they needed a new parish church in the area. In 1883, this church joined the Archdiocese of Boston as a “regular canonical parish.” Since its beginning, this church has been known as the Mission Church.
We’d like to thank Sam Sturgis for his help making this parish available on our site. The new volumes are listed below:
Our Lady of Perpetual Help (Roxbury) Baptisms, 1883-1889
Our Lady of Perpetual Help (Roxbury) Baptisms, 1889-1895
Our Lady of Perpetual Help (Roxbury) Baptisms, 1895-1901
Our Lady of Perpetual Help (Roxbury) Confirmations, 1885-1893
Our Lady of Perpetual Help (Roxbury) Confirmations, 1894-1909
Our Lady of Perpetual Help (Roxbury) Marriages, 1883-1913
Please note: This database is available to Individual-level and above NEHGS members only. Consider membership.