Originals acquired by James Edwards from 1860 to 1900; transcripts and copies acquired at various times between 1870 and 1960; the microfilm was acquired circa 1962 from the Baltimore Cathedral Archives.
Catholic Church. Archdiocese of Baltimore (Md.) Collection (ABA), University of Notre Dame Archives (UNDA), Notre Dame, IN 46556
Correspondence and copies of correspondence, including three autographs of Charles Carroll of Carrollton, several autographs of Archbishop John Carroll, and correspondence of Bishop John Cheverus of Boston, Bishop Michael Egan of Philadelphia, Daniel Brent, John Carroll Brent, and Howes Goldsborough of Easton, Maryland; diary of Archbishop Ambrose Maréchal, 1818-1827; diary and account book of Archbishop James Whitfield, 1827-1828; clippings and related material.
Also microfilm of the correspondence of Archbishops John Carroll, Leonard Neale, Ambrose Maréchal, James Whitfield, Samuel Eccleston, Francis Patrick Kenrick, Martin John Spalding, James Roosevelt Bayley, and James Cardinal Gibbons; with letters from Stephen T. Badin, Peter Joseph Lavialle, William George McCloskey, Charles Nerinckx, and John Baptist David.
Some of the correspondence from the Baltimore Cathedral Archives is available not only on microfilm but also in the form of photocopies; some of this correspondence is also available in typewritten transcripts.
Until 1808, the Diocese of Baltimore encompassed all of the United States. In 1808, with the establishment of the Dioceses of Boston, Bardstown, and Philadelphia, Baltimore became the first archdiocese in the United States. Its archbishop had metropolitan authority over other dioceses until 1846. Although the Diocese of Richmond was established in 1820, it had no bishop from 1822 until 1841; the Archbishop of Baltimore served as its administrator.
This finding aid describes the two feet of original documents concerning the Archdiocese of Baltimore heldby the Archives of the University of Notre Dame. Baltimore's ordinaries during theprincipal period covered by the collection figure prominently in the papers. Their names (andyears in office):
Correspondence from the files of the Baltimore ordinaries (see names listed above). The subjects covered in the letters include the first Synod of the Diocese of Baltimore (1791), the archbishops' pastoral letters, the first circular letter of the American hierarchy (concerning the captivity of Pope Pius VII) written in 1808, the restoration of the Jesuits, the activities of the Sacred Congregation for the Propagation of the Faith, and the administrative activities of the archdiocese, such as the ordination and assignment of clergy, the establishment and governance of religious orders, maintenance of schools, the establishment of new parishes and dioceses, and the disbursement of funds. Principal correspondents, in addition to the Baltimore prelates, include the following (arch)bishops: John Ireland, John Cheverus, Michael Egan, Benedict Flaget, Simon Brute, John Purcell, and John J. Keane. Some of the letters deal with family and personal concerns of the Baltimore ordinaries. The letters are arranged in chronological order. Some clippings, enclosures, diaries and sermons also appear in the files.
The sermons are largely undated and unattributed, although it is likely they were written by the Baltimore archbishop. The newspaper clippings cover a wide range of topics include the activities of the Baltimore prelates (along with their obituaries), the Know-Nothing Party, the construction and consecration of churches, Catholic education, and the celebration of the centennial of the Baltimore Diocese and the Catholic Congress held at the same time (1889). The articles are from Catholic and secular papers. In addition to the letters, the Correspondence Series also includes sermons and other documents.
The first reel of the Archdiocese of Baltimore microfilm begins with a handwritten inventory, transcribed below with few changes. After the collection code (MABA) the numbers have this significance: the first number is the microfilm reel number and the second (after the decimal point) is the original box number. In most cases, after a slash, an upper-case letter identifies the folder, and a number (after another decimal point) identifies the item within the folder. These numbers and letters follow the system used in the files on the microfilm.
For another description of the documents held by the Archdiocese of Baltimore Archives, and represented on forty reels of microfilm in the Archives of the University of Notre Dame, see "A Guide to the Baltimore Cathedral Archives" by John Tracy Ellis in The Catholic Historical Review, Vol. XXXII, No. 3, October 1946.