Old Saint Mary's

In San Francisco around 1854, the doors of Saint Mary's Cathedral were first opened. It still stands at 660 California Street between Grant and Kearney, a monument to the ongoing Catholic tradition carried from the old Missions to the surge of the Gold Rush to present day.

The office is not open on the weekends, but if you call Monday through Friday between 9 am and 5:30 pm, you'll get a live person. (They do have a live answering service, I should add...)

Tuesdays they have a research volunteer who comes in to go through the archives (original certificates) for anyone who needs a copy...

What you need to perform a search for baptismal records is:

The name of the person baptized
The name of the mother, including her maiden name
A pretty good date

There are some forms involved, but I am told the earliest archives are already on microfiche. They begin in 1855 and are quite volumnous.

(As of 2007, we have not recieved word of any of the Howard children- save Catherine- or Ambrose being found here. Disappointing, but probably due to poor communication in part)

Anita is the ever-so-helpful Office Manager