Argentina, Santiago del Estero, Catholic Church Records - FamilySearch Historical Records

What is in This Collection?
This collection of church records for the period of 1581 to 1961 includes baptisms, confirmations, marriages and deaths for cities in the province of Santiago del Estero.

The parishes contained in the collection are Nuestra Señora de Loreto, El Señor de los Milagros, Nuestra Señora de las Mercedes, Nuestra Señora del Carmen, Nuestra Señora de la Consolación, San Miguel Arcángel and Inmaculada Concepción. Church records are crucial for genealogical research, since civil authorities did not begin registering vital statistics until after 1886. After this date one should search in both church and civil records as there may be information in one that does not appear in the other. For instance the church records may only list the godparents whereas the civil records may list the grandparents. Church records are the most important records for genealogical research in Argentina. The vast majority of Argentines were Catholic and were registered in the records of the local parish or diocese which are called registros parroquiales (parish registers). These records include entries for baptisms, marriage information, marriages, deaths, and burials. They can help you trace and link families. Often two and sometimes three generations are indicated in the records. In addition, church records may include church censuses, account books, confirmations, and other church-related records.

Some church records have been lost or have deteriorated due to natural effects, such as humidity and insects, and more dramatic events such as fire, floods and earthquakes. Civil and political strife have also caused the destruction of parish books. Some records were destroyed or damaged because of poor storage. However, many records considered lost are simply misplaced or misidentified.

In 1886 the civil government began keeping vital records (civil registration). If you are looking for ancestors who came before this time, then the Catholic Church parish registers are the best records available to identify these individuals, since church records were around for hundreds of years prior to civil registration. For civil vital records of births, deaths, and marriages after 1886, see Argentina Civil Registration (Registro Civil).

Reading These Records
These records are written in Spanish. For help reading these records please see the following: FamilySearch Learning Center videos: If you speak Spanish, the following free online lesson may be helpful to learn how to use the information in these records:
 * Spanish Genealogical Word List
 * BYU Spanish Script Tutorial
 * Reading Spanish Handwritten Records, Lesson 1 *Reading Spanish Handwritten Records, Lesson 2
 * Registros Civiles y Parroquiales – Spanish

What Can These Records Tell Me?
The information in these records usually include the following:

Baptism records
 * Date of event
 * Place of event
 * Name of child
 * Age of child
 * Father’s name
 * Father's age and origin
 * Mother’s name
 * Mother’s age and origin
 * Godparents' names and their origin

Confirmation records
 * Name, age and gender
 * Parents
 * Godparents

Marriage records
 * Date of event
 * Place of event
 * Name of groom
 * Groom’s nationality, origin, age, occupation and race
 * Groom's parents' names
 * Name of bride
 * Bride’s nationality, origin, age, occupation and race
 * Bride’s parents’ names
 * Witnesses' name, civil status and residence

Death records
 * Parish place and date of event
 * Name of deceased
 * Date of death
 * Cause of death
 * Age of deceased
 * Origin of deceased
 * Occupation of deceased
 * Parents’ names of deceased
 * Place of burial

Collection Content
For additional details about these records and help using them see Argentina Catholic Church Records - FamilySearch Historical Records.

Coverage Table
A Coverage table for this collection is available in the wiki article Argentina, Santiago del Estero, Catholic Church Records, Coverage Table

How Do I Search This Collection?
Before searching this collection, it is helpful to know:
 * Name of the person
 * Approximate date of the event

View the Images
View images in this collection by visiting the 
 * 1) Select City or Town
 * 2) Select Parish
 * 3) Select Record Type and Years to view the images

How Do I Analyze the Results?
Compare each result from your search with what you know to determine if there is a match. This may require viewing multiple records or images. Keep track of your research in a research log.

I Found the Person I Was Looking For, What Now?

 * Add any new information to your records
 * Be sure to check the image for additional information
 * Analyze the entry to see if if provides additional clues to find other records of the person or their family

I Can’t Find the Person I’m Looking For, What Now?

 * Civil registration records are also a good source of genealogical information. See Argentina Civil Registration for further information You should obtain copies of both church records and civil registration, when possible, since they do not necessarily provide the same information. For example, baptismal registers sometimes provide the names of the fathers of illegitimate children when the civil registration does not
 * Check for variant spellings of the surnames
 * You ancestor may be using a nickname or alias
 * A boundary change could have occurred and the record of your ancestor is now in a neighboring area. Search the records and indexes of neighboring cities, provinces, and regions
 * Your ancestor may have immigrated to another country. Search the records of nearby countries or immigration/emigration records

Research Helps
The following articles will help you in your research for your family in Argentina.
 * Record Finder
 * Research Tips and Strategies

Citing This Collection
Citations help you keep track of places you have searched and sources you have found. Identifying your sources helps others find the records you used.

How Can I Contribute to the FamilySearch Wiki?
Argentina, Santiago del Estero, Registros da Igreja Católica (Registros Históricos do FamilySearch) Argentina, Santiago del Estero, registros parroquiales y diocesanos (Registros históricos de FamilySearch)