Dear NY Historians, Geographers, etc., For those searching their Catholic roots, please be aware that information about their ancestors who may have been: born in, baptized in, in an orphanage run by, educated in, married in, or buried within a facility under the auspices of the Roman Catholic Church, depends on when the event you are seeking occurred, because of changes in diocesan geography. The Diocese (now the Archdiocese) of New York gave birth to the Diocese of Brooklyn in 1853 and the Diocese of Brooklyn gave birth to the Diocese of Rockville Centre in 1957. The Diocese of Rockville Centre (currently covers all of Nassau County and almost all of Suffolk County, except for Fishers Island) is responsible for records on and after 1957, when the Diocese of Rockville Centre separated from the Diocese of Brooklyn. (Fishers Island, in the Town of Southold, Suffolk County, is in the Diocese of Hartford, Connecticut.) The Diocese of Brooklyn (currently covers all of Brooklyn and Queens) is responsible for records on and after 1853, when the Diocese of Brooklyn separated from the Diocese of New York. The Archdiocese of New York currently covers the remaining 3 boroughs of New York City (Staten Island, Manhattan and the Bronx, also known as Richmond, New York and Bronx Counties) as well as Westchester, Rockland and additional upstate counties. The respective archival sources are: Ms. Jean Wassong Diocesan Archivist R.C. DIOCESE OF ROCKVILLE CENTRE 50 North Park Avenue Rockville Centre, NY 11570 eMail: [log in to unmask] tel: 516/678-5800, X594 fax: 516/764-3316 Ms. Wassong is responsible for records on and after 1957, when the Diocese of Rockville Centre separated from the Diocese of Brooklyn. Mr. Joseph Coen Diocesan Archivist Immaculate Conception Center R.C. DIOCESE OF BROOKLYN 72-00 Douglaston Parkway New York (Flushing P.O.), NY 11362 eMail: [log in to unmask] tel: 718/229-8001, X475 fax: 718/229-2658 Mr. Coen is responsible for records on and after 1853, when the Diocese of Brooklyn separated from the Diocese of New York. Ms. Laura Chmielewski Director of the Archives ARCHBISHOP HUGHES HERITAGE CENTER R.C. ARCHDIOCESE OF NEW YORK 1011 1st Avenue (Room 1654) New York, NY 10022 eMail: [log in to unmask] tel: 212/371-1000, X1683 fax: 212/838-0637 Ms. Chmielewski's department is responsible for records that includes the Diocese of Brooklyn (and, by inference, the Diocese of Rockville Centre) until 1853. I hope this information is useful or, at least, interesting. Sincerely, Walter Greenspan