In 1987, under the direction of Msgr. Earl Woods, chancellor and Dr. Charles E. Nolan, archivist, the archdiocese began to publish its sacramental registers.  At that time, the decision was made to publish only those with surnames, due to the difficulty of indexing those without a surname.  By 2004, 19 volumes containing the records from 1718 to 1831 were published.  The Archdiocese uses the monies generated from the sales of its published volumes to fund the preservation and conservation of the earlier records.  

Volumes 1, 2, 5–7, and 10–11 are out of print. Volumes 3–4, 8–9, and 12–19 are available for purchase and may be ordered using the order form below. PDFs to volumes 1–11 are also available below.

All sacramental acts that indicate a surname are included. Parents, baptismal sponsors, and marriage witnesses are identified.  Valuable cross-references are added for maiden/married surnames, pseudonyms, combination names, and significant surname variations.

Sale on all Sacramental Records Volumes $22.00 each! 

Sacramental Records volumes available for purchase are:

Volume 19, 1830–1831
Volume 18, 1828–1829
Volume 17, 1826–1827
Volume 16, 1824–1825
Volume 15, 1822–1823
Volume 14, 1820–1821
Volume 13, 1818–1819
Volume 12, 1816–1817
Volume 9, 1807–1809
Volume 8, 1804–1806
Volume 4, 1784–1790
Volume 3, 1772–1783


Also available from the Archives are several non-sacramental publications. These may be ordered by printing and submitting the convenient order form, located above. Full payment should accompany all orders.

The publications are as follows:

A Southern Catholic Heritage, Vol. 1, Colonial Period, 1704-1813 by Charles E. Nolan (New Orleans: 1976). A description and background for earliest Catholic records, including parish records, in Alabama, Louisiana and Mississippi; does not list individual family names found in these records. $18.

Cross, Crozier and Crucible: A Volume Celebrating the Bicentennial of A Catholic Diocese in Louisiana, Glenn R. Conrad, general editor (New Orleans: 1993). A collection of historical essays to commemorate the bicentennial of the establishment of the Diocese of Louisiana and the Floridas on April 25, 1793, in six parts: The Ethnic Tapestry of Catholic Louisiana; The Growing Pains of the Church in Louisiana; Evangelization and Education; Apostles, Teachers, Helpers and Administrators; The Fine Arts; Historiography. Includes an index and an appendix of bishops and archbishops. $35.

A History of the Archdiocese of New Orleans, by Charles E. Nolan (Strasbourg: 2000). Tells the story of the Catholic people of the Archdiocese of New Orleans in word and picture. Historian Charles E. Nolan succinctly narrates this story from LaSalle's planting of the cross on Louisiana soil in 1682 to the eve of the new millennium. The volume is richly illustrated with historic maps, paintings, drawings, and photographs as well as photographs depicting all current parishes of the archdiocese. $28.

The Archbishop Wore Combat Boots: Memoir of an Extraordinary Life, by Philip M. Hannan, with Nancy Collins and Peter Finney (Huntington, IN: 2010). Presents a portrait of the Archbishop Hannan's life, describing his service during World War II, career in politics and with the Catholic Church, and his contribution to recovery efforts after Hurricane Katrina. $20.