​​ Introduction

​Records maintained by the Archdiocese of Los An​​​geles​ are an important patrimony of the Church. They include many documents produced by archdiocesan staff during the course of their duties, whether on paper or electronically. Accordingly, the Document Retention Policy ("Policy") is an essential tool for canon and civil law administrative and fiscal purposes.

The archdiocese has a systematic strategy for the creation, organization, maintenance, storage, and destruction of records, in consultation with canon and civil lawyers as well as by reference to standard operating procedures. The archdiocese expects all staff at all archdiocesan locations to comply with the Policy and the accompanying retention and destruction schedules to ensure that​​

• necessary records are maintained and used effectively;
  

• records that have served their purpose are disposed of properly;
  

• vital and confidential records are protected; and 
  

• all records with permanent value are identified, properly stored, and preserved.