In answer to your question about how to use the catholic-hierarchy.org site, you would go to the toolbar at the top and mouse over "dioceses" and select "all." From there you would find the diocese where the ordination took place, and click on it.
From there, it will give you the history of the presiding bishop(s) in the diocese. If, for example, the ordination took place in 1985, you could see who the bishop was at that time. By clicking on that bishop's name, you can find out when he received the episcopacy.
Now, the ordinary of at the time isn't necessarily the person who would have ordained the priest, but there is a list at the bottom of the page for a particular diocese of "associated bishops." Auxillary, co-adjutators and such. These are simply methods to narrow it down.
In all honesty, in investigations of my own, they've almost all ended in finding out that the bishop performing the ordination was consecrated in the new rite. From there, it's pointless discerning what rite the priest was ordained in since the bishop performing the rite has doubts surrounding his episcopacy.
Topic: Determining Details of Specific Priests Ordinations (Read 1911 times)