Dear Mike: The short answer is you can do it yourself at your local FHC. How did I know that? Go to SwissGen's listing of cantons http://swiss.genealogy.net/ldsloc-m.htm that link to the LDS FHL Catalog listing for villages in each canton. So for SG, I obtain the list of all villages that have "some sort of info" listed in the LDS FHL Catalog: http://www.familysearch.org/fhlc/supermainframeset.asp?display=localityrelat ed&subject=161217&first=1&last=999&columns=*,180,0 I perused the list to find Mels. Wow, it is there. Hallelujah!!! (not all villages have had their parish records filmed, especially Catholic) Click on the Switzerland, Sankt Gallen, Mels link http://www.familysearch.org/fhlc/supermainframeset.asp?display=localitydetai ls&subject=161286&subject_disp=Switzerland,_Sankt_Gallen,_Mels&columns=*,180 ,0 Click again on Topics: Switzerland, Sankt Gallen, Mels - Church records http://www.familysearch.org/fhlc/supermainframeset.asp?display=topicdetails& subject=490673&subject_disp=Switzerland,_Sankt_Gallen,_Mels_-_Church_records &columns=*,180,0 Click again on Titles: Kirchenbuch, 1639-1927 , Katholische Kirche Mels (Sankt Gallen) Good.....Kirchenbuch = Church book (parish registers), from 1639 all the way until 1927 for the Katholische = Catholic Church in St. Gallen. Click on Kirchenbuch, 1639-1927 http://www.familysearch.org/fhlc/supermainframeset.asp?display=topicdetails& subject=490673&subject_disp=Switzerland,_Sankt_Gallen,_Mels_-_Church_records &columns=*,180,0 to see the Title details: 4 microfilms, filmed in 1973, Parish register transcripts of baptisms, marriages, deaths, etc. - the original is in Stadtarchiv Sankt Gallen. Click on the little greay box toward the top named: View Film Notes to find out what dates are contained on each film. Now you get to learn German hand-written script. Don't have too much fun, Dave Schmutz -----Original Message----- From: Mike Bozovich [mailto:mkb@ezl.com] Sent: Thursday, November 04, 1999 8:24 PM To: SWITZERLAND-L@rootsweb.com Subject: [SWITZ] Catholic Church records Hello, I'm new to the list and wonder how I would go about contacting someone to look up records on a particular surname in a particular church in Switzerland. Specifically, I am interested in the Catholic Church, Mels, SG. Thanks, Mike Bozovich