Collections in the Archives

Collections Overview

The mission of the Archiocesan Archives is to collect, preserve, organize and make available for research the permanently valuable records and artifacts of this archdiocese that reflect the work of the Church in Southeastern Wisconsin, its people and institutions.  Our collections include:

• Administrative records of various Archdiocesan offices
• Records of merged or closed parishes
• Pre-1921 sacramental records
• The historic records of various Catholic individuals and organizations within the Archdiocese
• Parish histories
• Historic St. Francis Seminary Records
• Photographs
   

Archives Researcher Policy

The Archdiocesan Archives is open to researchers, but due to limited staff you must make an appointment. Our contact information appears to the left or on this page.  Our copy fees are below.

If it is not feasible for you to come to the archives you can ask a staff member to do the research on your behalf.  Depending on the nature of your request, we may charge a fee for your research request.  Staff time is very limited and we will agree to do research on a case by case basis.  Our fees are as follows:

$10 per 30 minutes of research.
$.10 per page scanned or photocopied (it takes just as much work to scan a page as it does to photocopy the page).
$5 per photographic image scanned.  Photographs present more copyright challenges, so consult an archivist for specific information regarding duplicating photographs.

Cataloged Records

Many, but not all, of our collections have a catalog record available online through the Salzmann Library.  Please note that only the catalog record is available online, not the content of the collection.  If you have a specific question or would like access to an open collection please contact one of the archivists to set up an appointment.  We are open by appointment only.

To access the catalog records please follow these directions:

1. Go to the TOPCAT Web site
2. Do a keyword search by clicking on the keyword bar.
3. Your keyword search will search all of Salzmann Library's holdings and there is no way to limit your search to just the archives.  Anything in the archives will state "Available at Saint Francis Seminary Pastoral Center Archives."
4. Click on the blue link to bring up each individual record. Department of Archives records will have a location listed of "Pastoral Center Archives."
5. Contact the archives for directions on how to set up an appointment to view the materials.

If you have questions about searching, please contact us.

Alternatively, a list of our collections is available here.  To obtain a copy of a finding aid please contact the archives.