Aruba Church Records

For information about records for non-Christian religions in Aruba, go to the Religious Records page.

Online Resources and Websites
'''Ancestry.com, findmypast.com, and MyHeritage.com can be searched free of charge at your local family history center or the Family History Library in Salt Lake City, Utah.
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 * British Armed Forces and Overseas Births and Baptisms, Aruba, index and images, ($)
 * British Armed Forces and Overseas Deaths and Burials, index and images, ($)

Historical Background
Roman Catholicism is the dominant religion, practiced by about 45% of the population.[6] Various Protestant denominations are also present on the island.

Information Recorded in the Records
Different denominations, different time periods, and practices of different record keepers will effect how much information can be found in the records. This outline will show the types of details which might be found (best case scenario):

Baptisms
In Catholic and Anglican records, children were usually baptized a few days after birth, and therefore, the baptism record proves date of birth. Other religions, such as Baptists, baptized at other points in the member's life. Baptism registers might give:

Marriages
Marriage registers can give:

Burials
Burial registers may give:

Digital Copies of Church Records in the FamilySearch Catalog
Watch for digitized copies of church records to be added to the collection of the FamilySearch Library. Some records might have viewing restrictions, and can only be viewed at a Family History Center near you, and/or by members of supporting organizations. To find records:
 * a. Click on the records of Aruba.
 * b. Click on Places within Aruba and a list of towns will appear.
 * c. Click on your town if it appears, or the location which you believe was the parish which served your town or village.
 * d. Click on the "Church records" topic. Click on the blue links to specific record titles.
 * e. Some combination of these icons will appear at the far right of the listing for the record. FHL icons.png. The magnifying glass indicates that the record is indexed. Clicking on the magnifying glass will take you to the index. Clicking on the camera will take you to an online digital copy of the records.

Writing for Records
You will probably need to write to or email the national archives, the diocese, or local parish priests to find records. See Letter Writing Guide for Genealogy for help with composing letters. Although Dutch is the official language is Aruba, English is used widely due to tourism.
 * List of churches, "VisitAruba
 * Church list in Aruba-TravelGuide.com
 * Google Maps search results for churches in Aruba

Writing to a Local Parish
Earlier records can be held at the diocese, with more recent records still kept in the local parish. To locate the mailing address or e-mail address for a diocese or local parish, consult:
 * The Catholic Directory: Aruba

Historical Background
The Catholic Church in Aruba is part of the worldwide Catholic Church, under the spiritual leadership of the Pope in Rome. The predominant religion of Aruba is Catholicism, but there is no territorial jurisdiction in Aruba, which is covered by the Diocese of Willemstad in Curaçao.

Online Records
Online church information is available to current members, deceased members, and immediate family members who are still living. Sign in to FamilySearch and then select Family Tree in the drop-down menu.

Historical Background
Missionaries Clay Jorgensen and Julio Gonzalez were sent to Aruba in January 1987 from the Venezuela Caracas Mission. When they arrived Jose Gonzalez was the only member on the island. He had joined the Church in Venezuela and had come to work in Caracoa. The missionaries began meetings with Gonzalez, which provided the nucleus that led to the formation of the Aruba Branch (a small congregation). Selections of the Book of Mormon were translated into Papiamento in 1987. The San Nicolas Branch was formed in June 1991. Total Church Membership: 587. Congregations: 2.

Protestant Churches

 * List of churches, "VisitAruba
 * Google Maps search results for churches in Aruba