-- Ralph Lewis wrote: > > I have also seen researchers write that they had encountered a priest who > did not want to look up family records. That is our case - if my > father-in-law's sister had not worked in the rectory for 30 years or so, > the priest would not have looked for any family records. I know this for > sure, because he said so directly, along with a "don't bother me again." > This was not a church in Poland, either, it was in Pennsylvania, USA. (I > say that because I understand that some Europeans don't fully understand > our interest in our roots - that they have lived in essentially the same > area for hundreds of years, and don't feel this need to 'connect.') > > And yet, there are many priests who understand our interest. So, I am > asking two things: > > First, is there a priest who might write something for us to send along > with our requests, reflecting a personal experience regarding genealogy > research? Perhaps someone has helped reunite a family, or something like > that. > > Secondly, is there a Catholic perspective, here? I know why the Mormons > want to identify their relatives, but aren't there Catholic interests in > family, roots, heritage, tradition, etc.? What would Rome think about > genealogy research? That it is a frivilous effort that takes priests from > their work, or that this is an important part of that work. (By the way, I > enclose some money along with my requests, which I learned from the > suggestions of others.) Though I am no priest, I'd like to add some experiences about my dealing with priests in Poland during my genealogical activities. It is striking that the thing depends ENTIRELY on the priest himself, i.e. if he is interested in helping you at all, to what extent etc. I have experienced the broad spectrum of reactions on the side of the priests. There were some who even welcomed me with the lunch, asking questions, praising my interest in history of their parish, on the other hand there were cases I was refused any help and even access to the parish archive. In such cases I usually finally managed to convince the priest of my sincerity and seriousness of my research and sometimes I was ultimately allowed to look into the records but not to research them more thoroughly. I want to stress that I am ALWAYS visiting the parishes personally, usually unexpectedly so as to have the possibility to convince the priest face to face and not on the phone. I am trying only to ensure when the parish office is open, i.e. if the priest will be present at all. I encountered no case in my carreer that I would be refused any access to the records at all, sometimes however it was very difficult. Even though, in the majority of cases no special problems occured. One must be prepared for everything, anyway. Some examples: the priest from the parish my grandfather was born in 1908 at first didn't want to show me the records as he suspected that I was trying to find any ethnic German ancestors of my family and get the German citizenship on that way! That was indeed the practice in that area (northern Poland), once ethnically mixed, to prove one's German ancestry as the Federal Republic of Germany granted citizenship to such people. The priest knew it as many his parishioners did it in the past and went to Germany. He couldn't catch the idea, however, that one can be willing to search through those records in any 'honest' intention, i.e. simply to learn about his ancestors. Finally he let me research the records as I solemnly promised him that it was not my intention to go to Germany (and in fact there were no German ancestors in my family anyway ;)) ). Sometimes the priests who do not want to spend tehir time to help you say that you have to have permission from the Bishop or something alike. One must cope with each such case individually :) Best wishes to all researchers Lukasz Bielecki =================================================================== Institute of Bioorganic Chemistry, Polish Academy of Sciences Noskowskiego 12/14, PL-61-704 Poznan, phone: +48 61 528503 ext. 154 mailto:bielecki@ibch.poznan.pl http://www.man.poznan.pl/~bielecki =================================================================== Ceterum censeo monarchiam esse restituendam....