10/14/2026
Today, I received a heartbreaking message from a fellow researcher who traveled all the way to Messina, Sicily. Hearing their story is exactly why I founded Italian Parish Records.
They spent months preparing and saving for this trip. They printed out the directory “Gli Archivi Delle Antiche Parrocchie di Messina” and tried multiple times to communicate with the archives via email before their trip, but their messages were ignored. Still, they traveled with hope.
When they finally arrived and met with the archivist, Erika Gitto, they were simply told that the document they had relied on was “old and inaccurate.” Nothing was available to them. Desperate, they spent the rest of their time going from church to church, literally begging for access to the records. They were turned away at every stop.
They wrote, saying they are "beyond inconsolable," feeling that so much time, money, and hope were completely wasted.
As the Director of a non-profit dedicated to the preservation and accessibility of Italian Catholic Parish records, this breaks my heart—and fuels my frustration. No researcher, genealogist, or descendant should have to cross an ocean, spend thousands of dollars, and dedicate months of their lives only to face closed doors and outdated information.
Our history is being locked away. But we are fighting to change that. Italian Parish Records exists so that one day, stories like this are a thing of the past. Our ancestors deserve to be found, and we will keep advocating for the accessibility of these precious records. 💔🇮🇹
If you have experienced something similar, please share your story below. We need to raise awareness about how difficult this process has become.
