Every diocese is required to have a Chancellor as stated in Canon Law:

“In every curia a chancellor is to be appointed whose principal function, unless particular law establishes otherwise, is to take care that acts of the curia are gathered, arranged, and safeguarded in the archive of the curia.” (Can. 482 §1.) If it seems necessary, the chancellor can be given an assistant. (§2.)

By church law, the Chancellor is also an ecclesiastical (Church) notary within the curia, whose signature establishes authenticity for any acts, for judicial acts only, or for acts of a specific case.

The Chancellor’s duties include:

• Drawing up the acts and instruments regarding decrees, dispositions, obligations, or other things which require their action;
• Recording faithfully in writing on any decree what has taken place and to sign it with a notation of the place, day, month, and year;
• Having observed what is required, to furnish acts or instruments to one who legitimately requests them from the records, and to declare copies of them to be in conformity with the original.

Meet Our Chancellor and Assistant Chancellor