Brazil, Minas Gerais, Catholic Church Records - FamilySearch Historical Records

What is in This Collection?
This collection includes baptism, marriage, and burial records created by various Catholic parishes and diocese in the state of Minas Gerais from 1706 to 1999.

Additional images will be published as they become available.

For additional details about these records and help using them, see the wiki article, Brazil Catholic Church Records (FamilySearch Historical Records)

Reading These Records
These records are written in Portuguese; also see the section For Help Reading These Records for translation helps.

What Can These Records Tell Me?
The following information may be found in these records:

Baptism Records
 * Date of baptism
 * Place of baptism
 * Name
 * Birth date
 * Place of birth
 * Legitimacy
 * Parents' names
 * Godparents' names

Marriage Records
 * Date of marriage
 * Place of marriage
 * Names of groom and bride
 * Groom's place of birth
 * Groom's age, baptism date, and residence
 * Groom's legitimacy
 * Groom's parents' names
 * Bride’s place of birth
 * Bride's age, baptism date, and residence
 * Bride’s legitimacy
 * Bride's parents' names
 * Witnesses' names

Burial Records
 * Date and place of registration
 * Registrant's name
 * Date, place, and time of death
 * Name and age of deceased (keep in mind that death records for women may be filed under their married name)
 * Deceased's marital status/name of spouse
 * Deceased's origin and residence
 * Legitimacy
 * Cause of death
 * Names of deceased's parents
 * Residence of parents
 * Names of witnesses
 * Burial place

Collection Content
The Catholic Diocese of Luz created in 1960 is found in the state of Minas Gerais. Prior to 1960 Minas Gerais belonged to the Diocese of Aterrado.

Sample Images
The information found in each record varies by year.

How Do I Search This Collection?
Before using this collection it is helpful to know:
 * Your ancestor's given name and surname
 * Identifying information such as residence
 * Estimated marriage or birth year

Search the Collection
View images in this collection by visiting the 


 * 1) Select Municipality
 * 2) Select Parish
 * 3) Select Record Type and Years to view the images.

For Help Reading These Records
For help reading these Portuguese records see the following guides:


 * Portuguese Genealogical Word List
 * Brazil Language and Languages

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 Who I Was Looking For, What Now?

 * Use the birth date or age along with the place of birth to find the family in census records Brazil Census.
 * When looking for a person who had a common name, look at all the entries for the name before deciding which is correct.
 * For death records, the information in records is usually reliable, but depends upon the knowledge of the informant.
 * For marriage and death records, name changes, shortened names, or nicknames may have been used by your ancestors, so pay attention to other relationships (parents, spouse, siblings, children, etc.) that can confirm whether you have the right person/record.
 * Continue to search the marriage records to identify children, siblings, parents, and other relatives of the bride and groom who may have married in the same county or nearby. This can help you identify other generations of your family or even the second marriage of a parent. Repeat this process for each new generation you identify.
 * Continue to search the indexes and records to identify children, siblings, parents, and other relatives who may have lived in the same area or a nearby area.

I Can't Find Who I'm Looking For, What Now?

 * A boundary change could have occurred and the record of you ancestor is now in a neighboring. Search the records and indexes of neighboring cities, provinces, and regions.
 * Civil Registration records are also a good substitute when birth, marriage, and death records can’t be found or are unavailable.
 * Brazil Civil Registration- Vital Records
 * Brazil Civil Registration (FamilySearch Historical Records)
 * Your ancestor might have immigrated to another country. Search the records of nearby areas or immigration/emigration records: Brazil Emigration and Immigration

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.
 * Collection Citation:

“Brazil, Minas Gerais, Catholic Church Records, 1706-1999.” Images. FamilySearch. http://FamilySearch.org : accessed 2017. Paróquias Católicas, Minas Gerais [Catholic Church parishes, Minas Gerais].

Top of Page

Known Issues With This Collection
For a full list of all known issues associated with this collection see the attached Wiki article. If you encounter additional problems, please email them to [mailto:support@familysearch.org support@familysearch.org]. Please include the full path to the link and a description of the problem in your e-mail. Your assistance will help ensure that future reworks will be considered.