India, Archdiocese of Goa, Roman Catholic Priesthood Candidates - FamilySearch Historical Records

What is in This Collection?
This collection contains dossiers, or detailed documents, of any candidates that were appointed to or achieved advancement in the Roman Catholic priesthood in the Archdiocese of Goa, India. The collection will include records from 1724-1996. These documents are written in Portuguese and include proclamations of worthiness, pedigrees, baptismal records, completion of studies, and other forms. The original records are located in the Archive of the Archdiocese in Panaji, Goa, India. The Archdiocese of Goa presently comprises Goa, Daman, Diu, Dadra and Nagar Haveli in India.

A diocese is a region directed by a bishop. A diocese is then divided into parishes which are overseen by a parish priest. An archdiocese is more substantial than a diocese and is presided over by an archbishop.

After the Portuguese established the State of Portuguese India the Catholic Church began to keep records. The capitol seat moved to Goa after 1510 and the Roman Catholic Archdiocese of Goa and Daman was organized. Portugal retained governmental control in its Indian territories until the mid-1900s.

Reading These Records
These records are written in Portuguese. For help reading these records see the following:
 * Portuguese Genealogical Word List
 * English-Portuguese Dictionary

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

Candidates
 * Name of Candidate
 * Date and Place of Birth
 * Parents’ Names
 * Date and Place of Baptism
 * Godparents’ Names
 * Name and Place of Seminary

Sample Images
Records may contain the following information:

How Do I Search This Collection?
Before searching this collection, it is helpful to know:
 * The name of the person

View the Images
View images in this collection by visiting the 


 * 1) Select Shelf Number, Volume Number, Candidate's Name (Year Range) 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?

 * Remember that there may be more than one person in the records with the same name
 * When looking for a person who had a common name, look at all the entries for the name before deciding which is correct
 * Check for variant spellings of the names

I Can't Find the Person I Was Looking For, What Now?

 * Try viewing the original record to see if there were errors in the transcription of the name, age, residence, etc
 * Standard spelling of names typically did not exist during the periods our ancestors lived in. Try variations of your ancestor’s name while searching the index or browsing through images

Research Helps
The following articles will help you in your research for your family in India.
 * 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.