The mandate of the Diocesan Archives of the Roman Catholic Diocese of Prince George is to collect the acts of the curia and all documents which concern the spiritual and temporal affairs of the parishes and the institutions of the diocese. Within this mandate, the Diocesan Archivist collects and safeguards various historical and administrative documents for the purposes of providing a sense of continuity and institutional memory: administrative records, correspondence, legal documents, photographs and other ephemera from the earliest days of our Diocese to the present. The Diocesan Archives is a private institutional repository, whose primary duty is to serve the Bishop, Curial offices and Catholic parishes, and access is generally limited to such uses. The Archives may be made available for research in accordance with canon law, civil law and provincial privacy laws at the discretion of the Archivist.
The Diocesan Archives was created in accordance with Canon 482, which invests the Chancellor with the responsibility for the curia archives. Canon 486 § 1 also notes the care that is to be given diocesan and parish documentation, which the Chancery Office (including the Archivist) oversee.
The Archives also contains information on the Catholic Independent School system from the early 1900’s to the early 2000’s, as well as the Frontier Apostolate movement that was instituted by Bishop Fergus O’Grady, OMI, in the late 1950’s. Volunteers from around the world came to the Diocese of Prince George to work as volunteers in schools, hospitals, administrative roles, and various other service ministries.
Our Collections
Our collections are non-circulating, but available for consultation at the discretion of the Archivist. Please contact the Archivist for more information.
Archives
Our archival holdings consist of the administrative records of the Diocese of Prince George dating from 1908 to the present. We also have records of closed parishes, deceased clergy, the Frontier Apostolate program and the Flying Missions.
Sacramental records
The Diocesan Archives houses duplicate copies of sacramental registers for baptisms, confirmations, marriages, and burials that took place in the Diocese of Prince George. Original registers are located at the parishes.
Sacramental record requests should be made through the parish at which the sacrament was administered as, in most circumstances, complete sacramental records are kept at the parish where the sacrament was administered or took place. However, if the parish is unable to locate the sacramental records, please complete the Request of Sacramental-Burial Records – Revised Jan 2021 and provide as much detail as possible. Photo Identification must be included, along with the completed Sacramental Record Request Form and the administrative fee.
Request of School Records
Request of School Records Form – Revised 2021-01-08
Genealogy Requests
Due to limited personnel, the Diocesan Archives is unable to provide this service. However, the Archival Genealogy Collection is available for research.
Contact
The Diocesan Archives are available by appointment only. At the discretion of the Archivist, an appointment may be arranged. Please call or email to set up a meeting.
Archives
6500 Southridge Ave. Prince George B.C. V2N 5P9
Phone: 250-964—4424, ext. 2113
Fax: 250-964-2101
Hours of Operation
8:30 am to 4:30 pm, Tuesday to Thursday.
Diocesan Archivist
Richard Sinclair