Sub-series MS-3396.A - Codex Historicus, visitation books, and registers

The sub-series consists of registers, account books, visitation books, and daily journals kept by the Oblate priests. Each mission, church, or school operated by the Oblates maintained journals and records of the site. The Codex Historicus, or daily journal, were considered particularly important. The following instructions were often pasted to the inside cover of the Codex Historicus:

The Codex Historicus should contain a faithful authentic account of all happenings of importance. Its purpose is varied and it is wide in scope. It serves v.g. for the recording of nominations of persons to office, visitors, evens of minor or greater importance, external events which have a bearing on the activities of the House and Fathers, material modifications of the House, etc. In editing the Codex, it is well to abound rather than limit oneself to the bare statement of events. The Codex is obligatory for ever House and Residence. It is a book of great historical value.

In the editing of the Codex, please observe the following:

1. Keep the Codex in a continued manner and up-to-date. Events should be entered therein as and when they occur.
2. The Superior will appoint a secretary who will edit the Codex when the Superior cannot do so.
3. So that the Codex will be kept neatly, please observe the following:
   a. At the top of each indicate the current year
   b. In the left margin, note day and month, a resume of the event,
   c. Distinct events should be separated from each other by a line which is drawn across the page. No blank space is to be left between the narration of separate events.
4. The Narration should have three qualities:
   a. IT SHOULD BE COMPLETE:
   i. AS TO PERSONS:
5. Give the person’s full Christian name and Surname,
6. Ass thereto the office that the person holds, as v.g. Rev. Father N.N., Superior of St. Mary’s District
   ii. AS TO FACTS: give a complete description of same and not only a resume; add circumstances of time, place, and persons.
   iii. AS TO THE WORDING: report pronouncements of influential persons with exactitude; give a resume of same. The text of their sermons or pronouncements should be inserted in the Appendix, where it is placed with other documents such as newspaper clippings. On said document note reference Page of Codex; in the body of the Codex refer to page of Appendix where full document may be found.
   b. IT SHOULD BE FAITHFUL AND EXACT – therefore:
   i. Report facts and pronouncements with exactitude;
   ii. Be scrupulously fair in commenting on facts and pronouncements -PERSONAL DISPARAGING REMARKS against any member of the community are to find NO PLACE in the Codex Historicus;
   iii. Make an exact choice of words, weight the meaning of same carefully so that there may later on be no misinterpretation;
   iv. Writing should be legible and neat, correct as to style, no figurative language but only matter-of-fact statements;
   v. Avoid corrections additions and erasures as much as possible
7. Appendix or Auxiliary Codex – for collecting pieces of information such as photographs, newspaper clippings, etc., with due reference to the CODEX (as outlined in No. 4.a.iii)