GUIDE TO CATHOLIC RECORDS ABOUT NATIVE AMERICANS IN THE U.S.
Volume 3: Western United States
California: CA-55

Catholic Church. Archdiocese of San Francisco. Archives
St. Patrick’s Seminary
320 Middlefield Road
Menlo Park, CA 94025

Phone: 650-328-6502
Email: aasf@sfarch.org

 

Hours: See website (Archives webpage)

Access: See website (Archives webpage)

Copying facilities: Yes 

 

History: In 1853, the Archdiocese of San Francisco was erected for northern California from territory in the Diocese of Monterey. With substantially reduced area, the San Francisco Archdiocese reported 4,000 baptized Native American Catholics in 1999. San Francisco and its predecessors have administered the following Native missions, parishes, and schools in California:

1776-ca. 1900 (no longer Native) (San Francisco, 1853-ca. 1900)	San Francisco de Asís [Dolores] Mission (Ohlone, Wintun), San Francisco
1777-1851 (no longer Native) (San Francisco, 1853)	Santa Clara de Asís Mission (Miwok, Ohlone), Santa Clara
1797-1868 (no longer Native) (San Francisco, 1853-1868)	San José de Guadalupe Mission (Miwok, Ohlone, Yokuts), Fremont
1817-ca. 1900 (no longer Native) (San Francisco, 1853-ca. 1900)	San Rafael Arcángel Mission (Miwok, Pomo, Wintun), San Rafael
1823-ca. 1840s (no longer Native) (San Francisco, 1853)	San Francisco de Solano Mission (Miwok, Pomo, Wintun, Yuki), Sonoma
1857-1860s (closed)	Sisters of the Presentation of the Blessed Virgin Mary school for Black and Indian children (Ohlone?, Wintun?) (Archives: San Francisco, California), San Francisco
1861-ca. 1969 (closed) (San Francisco, 1888-1969)	St. Theresa of Avila Mission (Ohlone?), Bodega
1888-1971 (closed) (San Francisco, 1888-1962)	St. Patrick Mission (Pomo), Yokayo Rancheria
1888-1905 (closed) (San Francisco, 1888-1905)	St. Turibius School (Pomo, Yuki), Kelseyville
1893-1922 (closed) (San Francisco, 1893-1922)	St. Turibius Mission (Pomo, Yuki), Kelseyville
1893-present (San Francisco, 1893-1962)	St. Francis of Assisi Mission (Pomo), Hopland Rancheria
1902-present (San Francisco, 1902-present)	St. Helen Mission (Coast Miwok? Ohlone?), Marshall
1904-1970 (no longer Native) (San Francisco, 1904-1962)	St. Anthony Church (Pomo), Willits
1916-1969 (closed) (San Francisco, 1916-1962)	St. Joseph Mission (Pomo), Guidiville Rancheria
1917-1971 (closed) (San Francisco, 1917-1962)	St. Dominic Mission (Pomo), Pinoleville Rancheria

 

Holdings of Catholic records about Native Americans: 

Inclusive dates: 1772-ongoing  

Volume: Ca. 2 cubic feet 

Description: 7 record series include Native Catholic records: 

 

/1 “Papers of Archbishop Joseph Sadoc Alemany y Conill, O.P. [Dominicans] (1814-1888)”

Inclusive dates: 1850-1863 Volume: Ca. .5 cubic foot with scant amount Native Catholic

Description:

A. Diary, H 18, 1855-1863, 1 volume; re: visitations and appointments with some descriptions of life in California

B. Letters, H 19, 1861-1862, 1 volume (40 letters); re: outgoing correspondence; copies

C. Journals of Correspondence, H 20-21, 1862-1868, 2 volumes; re: summaries

D. Letter Book, H 22, 1879-1881, 1 volume; re: includes legal proceedings of Pious Fund lawsuit and Santa Ines Ranch

E. Visitation Book, H 24, 1850-1874, 1 volume; re: visitations of Diocese of Monterey, 1850-1853 and Archdiocese of San Francisco, 1853-1874

 

/2 “Commission for the Catholic Missions Among the Colored People and the Indians, A14.1” Inclusive dates: 1887-1960

Volume: 4 folders pertain to Native Americans

Description: Correspondence, reports, and parish censuses, re: St. Turibius Mission, Lakeport, St. Dominic Mission, Pinoleville, St. Mary of the Angels Mission, Ukiah and other missions and schools in Northern California; also reference to urban Native Americans in Oakland and San Francisco, 1960.

 

/3 “Legal Files, ‘Lake County Lands, 1870-1913, L-261’”

Inclusive dates: 1870-1913

Volume: 1 folder

Description: Deeds to church lands including Native missions, e.g. Big Valley, Kelseyville, Lakeport, Middletown, and Sulphur Bank School; signed by Padre Luciano Osama, Archbishop Joseph S. Alemany, Archbishop Patrick W. Riordan, and the Franciscans of California.   

 

/4 “Sacramental Records”

Inclusive dates: 1797-ongoing

Volume: More than 5 volumes and several reels of microfilm in part

Description: Arranged alphabetically by place and there under by name; contain baptisms, marriages, and deaths for Native and non-Native parishes that have had Native parishioners.

A. San Francisco, San Francisco de Asís [Dolores] Mission, 1757-1856, several reels of microfilm in part

B. San Jose, San José de Guadalupe Mission, 1797-1859, 4 volumes; 1859-ongoing; several reels of microfilm in part

C. San Rafael, San Rafael Arcángel Mission, 1817-1839, 1 volume; 1839-ongoing; 1 reel of microfilm in part

D. Tomales, Assumption Church; includes St. Teresa of Avila Mission, Bodega, 1861-1960s, and St. Helen Mission, Marshall, 1902-ongoing; several reels of microfilm in part

 

/5 Diocesan Newspapers

Inclusive dates: ca. 1870-1930s

Volume: Several articles 

Description: The following included occasional articles on Native Americans and Catholic evangelization in California:  

A. The San Francisco Monitor, ca. 1870-1930s; official archdiocesan newspaper, 1892-1930s

B. The San Francisco Western Witness, 1890s; a local de facto Catholic newspaper

 

/6 “Catala Papers”

Inclusive dates: 1883-1884

Volume: 1 volume

Description: 52 depositions, some by Native Americans; re: beatification of Fray Magnin Catala, O.F.M. [Franciscans], of Santa Clara Mission, Santa Clara, California.

 

/7 “Taylor Papers, H 1” 

Inclusive dates: 1772-1849

Volume: Ca. 2.5 cubic feet with several Native Catholic items

Description: 2,550 letters collected by Alexander S. Taylor (1817-1876) and gifted to the San Francisco Archdiocese in 1933; mostly correspondence by Franciscans and reports with Spanish and Mexican civil and military officials; re: Spanish Franciscan missions and expeditions in California; notable correspondents include Juan Bautista Alvarado [proclamation, 1828], Fray Narciso Durán, O.F.M. and Fray Vicente Francisco de Sarría, O.F.M.

 

Unless otherwise noted, the repository on this page holds (or held) the records described here and they are not held at the Marquette University Archives.

new2006/rev2020