Genealogical Resources and Services

Archdiocese of Milwaukee Genealogical Records Policy
 

The Archdiocese of Milwaukee allows for the use of sacramental records for events prior to 1921 for genealogical and dual citizenship purposes. Sacramental records can be useful to genealogists, especially since Wisconsin did not require civil birth, marriage or death records until 1907. To protect the fragility of the original physical records and the privacy and confidentiality of some of the records, the archdiocese and its parishes adhere to the following policy: 

• We do not allow in-person, on-site genealogical research to be done at the archives. Our staff and facilities simply are not adequate to meet the demand.
   
• Requests for records must be submitted online using the form below. We do not take requests by phone, but if you'd like to speak to an archivist before submitting a request, please contact us at [email protected] or 414-769-3431. 
   
• Records are only open to genealogists for events prior to 1921. Records after 1920 are only open to the individual(s) who received the sacrament. 
   
• The Archdiocesan Archives can respond to requests for records from any parish within our current archdiocesan boundaries using our copy of pre-1921 sacramental records.
   
• We will not respond to general searches such as, “everything you have on the Smith family from 1850-1920.” Please be specific and include as much information as you know regarding the people you are researching: full names of parents and children, the type of sacramental record requested, approximate dates the sacrament occurred, the parish or city/town/county where the sacraments took place.
   
• Records being requested for dual citizenship purposes will be dated and certified with the archdiocesan seal. Please make sure to click the appropriate box for dual citizenship requests on the online form.
   
• A donation to the archives is appreciated for the time and resources used to research your requests. Please note that even if we do not locate any records relevant to your request, we have still spent time on that search. It often takes more time to search for something that is not there than for something that is there. On average, the suggested donation range is $10-$25. Further instructions on the suggested amount and how to make a donation will be included with our research response. 
   
• After your request is received it generally takes 2-6 weeks for our staff to research and respond.  We will post mail or email copies of any records we are able to locate and provide a translation of the records. If we do not find any records, a summary of our research will be provided. 

Looking to request your own sacramental record? Please use the Sacramental Records Request Form. 

To request records for genealogical or dual citizenship purposes, please complete the form below. 

Archdiocese of Milwaukee Genealogy Resource Guide

To help your research, a list of parishes within our archdiocese that were in existence prior to 1921 and other resources can be found in the Archdiocese of Milwaukee Genealogy Research Resource Guide.

Each Baptism, marriage and death recorded was recorded in hand-written chronological parish registers. There is no database or alphabetical index to search for records; each record is searched for in parish registers page by page. In order for our staff to begin a search we ask that you provide the name of the church where the sacrament took place.

If you do not know where the sacrament took place please provide information about where the family lived. This type of information can often be found in census records, city directories or civil records. Remember, we can only search for records within our current archdiocesan boundaries, which includes the counties: Dodge, Fond du Lac, Kenosha, Milwaukee, Ozaukee, Racine, Sheboygan, Walworth, Washington and Waukesha.

Adoption and Orphanage Records

We have compiled a listing of Orphanages and Protective Institutions that have existed in the Archdiocese. The Archdiocesan Archives does not maintain the records for the majority of these institutions; contact information for the last known location of records is included with the historical brief of each institution. Historical information may also be found in the archives of the specific religious order in charge of each institution.

The Archdiocese of Milwaukee Archives does not have legal authority to release any adoption information. For information regarding adopted persons please contact the Wisconsin Department of Children and Families.