Religion Collections in Libraries and Archives: A Guide to Resources in Maryland, Virginia, and the District of Columbia Table of Contents - Preface/Acknowledgements - Abbreviations Lists of Entries: District of Columbia - Maryland - Virginia

St. Mary's Seminary and University
Associated Archives

Access Policies

Reference Policy:

The Associated Archives is open to all researchers regardless of academic or professional affiliation. Reference staff is available to assist patrons who wish to conduct their own research on-site. All patrons are required to make an appointment prior to visiting. Please see the Associated Archives website for researcher policy, contact information, and directions.

Archives staff provides reference services that are limited to a brief inspection of the archives, card catalogs, inventories, directories, and library without charge. Requests that require lengthy use of multiple reference sources and/or research and reading of the collections will incur research fees and must be submitted in writing. Our reference and genealogical policies are available on our website along with other helpful information.

Associated Archives staff provides photocopying (.25 cents per page) and image reproduction services. We reserve the right, however, to deny photocopies or reproductions of extremely fragile materials or in instances where fulfillment of the order would involve or directly lead to violation of copyright law. Our photocopying and image reproduction policies are available on our website.

Borrowing Privileges:

Borrowing privileges are for faculty and Library/Archive staff only.

Networks/Consortia:

None.

Background Note:

The Associated Archives at St. Mary's Seminary and University is the repository for the archives of the Archdiocese of Baltimore (est. 1789), St. Mary's Seminary and University (est. 1791), and the U.S. Province of the Society of St. Sulpice (est. 1921).

Description of Collections

Books and monographs:

Archdiocese of Baltimore Archives--The Archives has a reference library comprised of over 500 books, comprised primarily of works regarding the history of the Archdiocese of Baltimore and the U.S. Catholic Church, including biographies of the Archbishops of Baltimore, parish and regional studies, and the Archdiocesan annual directory.

U.S. Province of the Society of Sulpice Archives--The Archives has a reference library comprised of over 1,000 volumes regarding the history of the Society of St. Sulpice and the U.S. Catholic Church, including a complete run of the Official Catholic Directory. Dissertations, theses, and books written by Sulpicians are also included in this collection.

Periodicals and newspapers:

Archdiocese of Baltimore Archives--This collection is comprised of the Archdiocesan newspapers, Catholic Mirror (1850-1908; on microfilm), Baltimore Catholic Review (1913-1936, on microfilm) and Catholic Review (1936-present; on microfilm). The Catholic Review has a limited subject index for the period c. 1930-1990. Also included in this collection are copies of such early Catholic publications as the U.S. Catholic Magazine (1842-1848) and Metropolitan (1853-1857). The archives also has subscriptions to the following journals: Catholic Historical Review; U.S. Catholic Historian; and Maryland Genealogical Society Bulletin. Information on the Catholic Mirror, Metropolitan, and U.S. Catholic Magazine can be found in Willging/Hatzfeld's Catholic Serials of the Nineteenth Century in the United States (Second Series, Part Eleven; Maryland and DC).

St. Mary's Seminary and University Archives--This collection is comprised of course catalogs for St. Mary's Seminary and University, 1894-2002, and the Ecumenical Institute of Theology, 1968-; the Voice of St. Mary's Seminary, 1924-1970; Alumni Bulletin, 1970-; Annual Reports, 1974-2002, and Class Notes, 1999-2001.

U.S. Province of the Society of Sulpice Archives--The collection includes catalogs and yearbooks for the seminaries founded by the Society of St. Sulpice in the United States, excluding St. Mary's Seminary and University, and internal publications published by the U.S. Province and its institutions, including St. Charles College's The Borromean (1915-1969), directories for the three Sulpician provinces (France, Canada, and U.S.), and subscriptions to the following journals: Catholic Historical Review, U.S. Catholic Historian, Maryland Historical Magazine, and Bulletin de Saint Sulpice. The archives also has incomplete runs of the following Catholic newspapers: Catholic Mirror, Baltimore Catholic Review, Catholic Review, National Intelligencer, (Philadelphia) Catholic Herald, and U.S. Catholic Miscellany.

Archives, manuscripts, correspondence, and oral histories:

Archdiocese of Baltimore Archives--This collection documents the founding, growth, and development of the Roman Catholic Archdiocese of Baltimore. The records date from the creation of the archdiocese in 1789.

The Archdiocese of Baltimore has played a special role in the history of the Catholic Church in this country. Established in 1789 as the country's first diocese, the Archbishop of Baltimore was recognized until well into the twentieth century as the leader of the Catholic Church in this country. Because of this role, the Archbishop of Baltimore was consulted frequently by national church and U.S. political leaders. In the holdings of the Archives for the Archdiocese of Baltimore can be found correspondence from bishops and lay leaders from across the country that document many of the major events and issues that shaped the development of the Catholic Church in this country and over one hundred Presidential letters dating back to George Washington's administration.

The collection is organized according to the following record series: Archbishops, Auxiliary Bishops, Chancery, and Parish History. Collections are open through 1948. Researchers can access the collections through the existing card catalog system and typed finding aids.

St. Mary's Seminary and University Archives--This collection is comprised of the non-current records of St. Mary's Seminary and University that have permanent historical, legal, fiscal or administrative value and is made up principally of documents dated 1968 and after. Photographs, publications, artifacts, artwork, and blueprints of St. Mary's at Roland Park, have also been placed with the Archives of St. Mary's Seminary and University. The documentary records for St. Mary's prior to 1968 remain with the Archives of the U.S. Province of the Society of St. Sulpice. See the description for the Archives of the U.S. Province of the Society of St. Sulpice to learn more about this collection.

U.S. Province of the Society of St. Sulpice Archives--The archives of the U.S. Province of the Society of St. Sulpice documents the history and work of the Society of St. Sulpice in the United States. The records date from 1791 when the first members of the Society of St. Sulpice, or Sulpicians, arrived in this country at the request of Baltimore's first Bishop, John Carroll (1735-1815). A society dedicated to the training of priests, the Sulpicians opened the first Roman Catholic seminary in this country. St. Mary's Seminary and University has served as a national seminary since its founding, forming priests for dioceses across the nation. Counted among its alumni are close to one hundred and fifty members of the American hierarchy. The Sulpicians went on to open fourteen major and minor seminaries across the country.

A number of Sulpicians also served as missionaries in the first part of the nineteenth century. The missionaries not only worked among the territory's Catholic settlers and Native American populations, but also established some of the first schools in what is now Kentucky, Michigan, and Illinois. The Sulpicians also worked closely with the foundresses of two women's religious orders: St. Elizabeth Ann Seton (1774-1821), foundress of the Sisters of Charity of St. Joseph, now known as the Daughters of Charity, and Mother Mary Elizabeth Lange (c. 1784-1882), foundress of the Oblate Sisters of Providence, the first religious order for women of color.

The collection is arranged according to the following record series: General, History, Individuals, Institutions, Provincials, and Society and are open through 1925. Researchers can access the collection through the existing card catalog system.

Microforms:

Archdiocese of Baltimore Archives--The Archives possesses the following collections on microfilm:

• Archbishops of Baltimore Papers (John Carroll, Leonard Neale, Ambrose Maréchal, James Whitfield, Samuel Eccleston, Francis P. Kenrick, Martin J. Spalding, James R. Bayley, and James Gibbons), c. 1789-1921.
• Archdiocesan newspapers: Catholic Mirror, 1850-1908, Baltimore Catholic Review, 1913-1936, Catholic Review, 1936-present, and Catholic Review (Washington, D.C., edition, 1944-1951)
• Sacramental Registers Collection, c. 1782-1984: Efforts to microfilm the sacramental registers of the parishes that comprise the Archdiocese of Baltimore have been undertaken twice in the past fifty years. The first attempt was made in 1954 at the request of the Archbishop. Francis P. Keough. The Maryland State Archives made a second attempt beginning in 1977. A majority of the parishes participated in the first microfilming project. Less than half participated in the second. Both sets of microfilm are available for researchers to work with at the Associated Archives. (For a list in PDF format of the parishes that participated in one or both of the microfilming projects, please see the Associated Archives website.)
• New Cathedral Cemetery Records, c. 1871-1977: Records for the Archdiocesan cemetery located in Baltimore City were microfilmed in 1977 and consist of plot books and daily registers arranged chronologically and alphabetically.

Maps:

U.S. Province of the Society of St. Sulpice Archives--Three maps from 1809-1852. These include two plans of the campus of St. Mary's College and one plan of the City of Baltimore.

Videos and Sound Recordings:

Archdiocese of Baltimore Archives--The audio/visual collection is made up of approximately 2000 videotapes and 30-16mm films. Subject matter ranges from archdiocesan special events, including the dedication of the Cathedral of Mary Our Queen in 1959. Also included in this collection are video tapes in Beta and VHS formats of archdiocesan-sponsored programming, including Reel to Reel Productions and Catholic Review TV, as well as videos taken of archdiocesan special events, including the installations of Archbishop William Borders and Archbishop William Keeler and the 1995 visit of Pope John Paul II. Date span: ca. 1921-present.

U.S. Province of the Society of St. Sulpice Archives--The audio/visual collection is made up of audio recordings, 8mm and 16mm films (transferred to video), and videos taken of Sulpician institutions and events, including the Christmas albums of St. Mary's Seminary Choir and early footage of the campuses of St. Edward's Minor Seminary and St. Thomas's Major Seminary, Kenmore, St. Charles College, Catonsville, and St. Mary's Seminary, Roland Park. Date span: ca. 1935-present.

Paintings, photographs, slides, and prints:

Archdiocese of Baltimore Archives--This collection is made up primarily of the archbishops of Baltimore taken over the course of their administrations. There are also a small number of photographs of the archdiocese's priests, institutions, and parishes, as well as of historic events that have taken place in the archdiocese. The records in this series are in both black and white and color and vary from wallet-sized images to 11 x14 and larger. In addition to photographs, there are also slides and negatives. Date span: ca. 1850-present.

St. Mary's Seminary and University Archives--This collection is comprised of color and B&W prints, slides, and negatives that reflect different aspects of St. Mary's Seminary and University history and student life. They include photographs of buildings and grounds, persons connected to the university, sports events, student theatrical productions, and other photos of scenes in student life. Date span: ca. 1968-present.

U.S. Province of the Society of St. Sulpice Archives--This collection is made up principally of Sulpician individuals and institutions. There is also a significant collection of non-Sulpicians, including alumni, members of the U.S. hierarchy, and individuals who have had a close relationship with the Sulpicians. The images are mostly black and white and vary from wallet-sized images to 11 x 14 and larger. In addition to photographs, there are also slides, negatives, scrapbooks, and albums. Date span: ca. 1800-present.

Other holdings not listed above:

Archdiocese of Baltimore Archives--This collection is limited to a small number of commemorative items, sacred objects, including relics, and portrait paintings of the Archbishops of Baltimore.

U.S. Province of the Society of St. Sulpice Archives--This collection is limited to a small number of commemorative items and sacred objects, including relics, class banners from St. Charles College, and portrait paintings of prominent Sulpicians and other individuals connected to the Society.

Subject Headings

African American Catholics; Carroll, John, Archbishop, 1735-1815; Catholic Church--Clergy; Catholic Church--History; Church buildings; Church work with African Americans; Church work with immigrants; Daughters of Charity; Deluol, Louis Regis, 1787-1858; Ecumenical movement; Gibbons, James, Cardinal, 1834-1921; Lange, Mary Elizabeth, 1800-1882; Oblate Sisters of Providence; Sacraments; Seminaries; Seton, Elizabeth Ann, Saint, 1774-1821; Sulpicians; Tabb, John Bannister, 1845-1909; Tessier, Jean, 1758-1840; Women and religion.

Bibliography (for Archdiocese of Baltimore Archives)

Ellis, John Tracy. "A Guide to the Baltimore Catholic Archives." Catholic Historical Review. Vol. 32 (October 1946): pp. 341-360.

Hamer, Philip M. A Guide to Archives and Manuscripts in the United States. New Haven, CT: Yale University Press, 1961.

Library of Congress. National Union Catalog of Manuscript Collections. Washington, DC: The Library of Congress, 1961-1993.