Sacramental and Other Records

ACCESS POLICY

The principal function of the Archives is to preserve and arrange the records of the Roman Catholic Diocese of Nelson and to make these records accessible to Diocesan authorities. Providing access to designated records for authorized research is a secondary function.

Access to the Archives is by appointment and archival resources are only available on site. Material cannot be removed from the Archives except at the discretion of the Archivist or Chancellor. All appointment requests or research inquiries must be submitted in writing to the Archivist via post, fax or e-mail.

LIMITED ACCESS

Sacramental Records
Requests for Baptism, Confirmation, Marriage or Burial records must be made in writing to the Parish where the Sacrament took place. If the Parish no longer exists, or if the register is no longer available for the dates required, contact the Diocesan Archives for assistance. Sacraments administered in non-church locations, such as private homes, hospitals or orphanages, are usually recorded at a nearby Parish.  Requests to the Parish should include:

• information about the Sacrament date and place
• names used at the time of the Sacrament
• requester’s name, address, phone number, etc.

Requests for Sacramental Records
The British Columbia government passed privacy legislation under the Personal Information Protection Act [PIPA 2003]. This Act includes the private sector and access to diocesan archival records must comply with the legislation.

Issuing of Sacramental Records:
Personal information contained in church records is only available to the general public according to the following guidelines:

Baptisms after 100 years                    Confirmations after 100 years
Marriages after 75 years                      Burials after 20 years

Certificates can only be issued to the party or parties who received the sacrament of Baptism¹, Confirmation¹, Marriage or Burial² with that individual’s written permission.

 ¹Parents may request information for dependants

²The personal representative of the individual at the time of death or if there is no personal representative, the nearest relative of the individual may access the record after submitting a written request and representative proof.

Birth and Death Certificates
The Archives cannot provide Birth or Death certificates. Requests for these certificates must be made to the Vital Statistics Agency at its website: http://www.hlth.gov.bc.ca/vs, or toll free at 1-800-663-8328. Access is restricted under British Columbia’s Personal Information Protection Act.

• Birth registrations after 100 years
• Marriage registrations after 75 years
• Death registrations after 20 years

Adoption Records
Adoption records are not located in the Archives. Requests for adoption records must be made to the Vital Statistics Agency at its website: http://www.hlth.gov.bc.ca/vs; toll free at 1-800-663-8328.

Genealogy
The Archives of the Diocese of Nelson are not available for individual genealogical research. However, if time permits the Archivist may provide information as regulated by the Personal Information Protection Act. A fee may be levied for this service.

School Records
Requests for information about Catholic schools administered by the Diocese of Nelson can be made to the Superintendent:

Catholic Independent Schools Office,
3665 Benvoulin Road
Kelowna, BC   V1W 4M7
250-448-2725

Parish and School Histories
Requests for information and photographs to support parish or school histories will only be accepted from the Pastor or his designated project coordinator. All requests for appointments, research inquiries, etc., must be submitted to the Archivist in writing. Costs for reproduction of documents and photographs are the responsibility of the Parish or School.

Academic Research
Access to the Archives is by appointment only and at the discretion of the Archivist. All requests for appointments, research inquiries, etc., must be submitted to the Archivist in writing and must include a description of the research project accompanied by a letter of reference from the academic institution. One copy of any resulting publication is also required for the Archives. 

REQUEST FOR COPY OF SACRAMENTAL RECORDS
Please use this form to request records: