Haiti Church Records

For information about records for non-Christian religions in Haiti, go to the Religious Records page. =Online Resources and Websites=
 * , index
 * , index.
 * , index.
 * British Armed Forces and Overseas Births and Baptisms, Haiti, index and images, ($)
 * British Armed Forces and Overseas Banns and Marriages, Haiti, index and images, ($)
 * British Armed Forces and Overseas Deaths and Burials, index and images, ($)

=Historical Background= The 2017 CIA Factbook reported that around 54.7% of Haitians profess to being Catholics while Protestants made up about 28.5% of the population (Baptist 15.4%, Pentecostal 7.9%, Seventh-day Adventist 3%, Methodist 1.5%, other 0.7%). Other sources put the Protestant population higher than this, suggesting that it might have formed one-third of the population in 2001.[324] Like other countries in Latin America, Haiti has witnessed a general Protestant expansion, which is largely Evangelical and Pentecostal in nature.[

=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:
 * baptism date
 * the infant's name,
 * parents' names,
 * father's occupation,
 * status of legitimacy,
 * occasionally, names of grandparents,
 * names of witnesses or godparents, who may be relatives,
 * birth date and place,
 * the family's place of residence,
 * death information, as an added note or signified by a cross.

Marriages
Marriage registers can give:
 * the marriage date and
 * the names of the bride and groom,
 * indicate whether they were single or widowed and
 * their ages,
 * their birth dates and places
 * residences,
 * occupations,
 * birthplaces, and
 * parents' names (after 1800)
 * the names of previous spouses and their death dates,
 * names of witnesses, who might be relatives.

Burials
Burial registers may give: =How to Find Records=
 * the name of the deceased and
 * the date and place of death or burial.
 * the deceased's age,
 * place of residence, and
 * cause of death
 * the names of survivors, especially a widow or widower,
 * deceased's birth date and place and
 * parents' names

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 Haiti.
 * b. Click on Places within Haiti 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 the Letter Writing Guide for Genealogy for help with composing letters.

= Catholic Records =

FamilySearch

 * Extensive microfilming of Catholic church records has been completed. See FamilySearch instructions above. Eventually these records will be digitized.
 * An alphabetical index to Catholic parish registers in the French Colonial Archives is available on microfilm Tables alphabétiques des registres paroissiaux, 1698-1803 (Alphabetical indexes to parish registers of Haiti).

Writing to a Local Parish
To locate the mailing address or e-mail address for a local parish, consult:
 * The Catholic Directory

Historical Background
The Dioceses of Santo Domingo and Concepción de la Vega were founded in 1511, and the island of Hispaniola that Haiti shares with the Dominican Republic, was divided between these bishoprics. In 1527 Concepción was incorporated into Santo Domingo, which remained the only diocese until 1862. Many regular clergy came with the French into the French territory, especially the Dominicans and the Capuchins. The Dominicans devoted themselves especially to the mission in the western part of the colony, and were for a time supported therein by other orders and secular priests.

The Haitian Revolution brought an end to the first wave of evangelization. When the leader of the revolution Toussaint L'Ouverture came to power in 1800, he restored the rights of the Catholic Church. Tensions increased as poverty spread, mistreatment of slaves was common and a class system grew between a French-speaking Catholic minority and the poorer Creole majority. The Haitian slaves revolted in 1804. After a massacre in 1804, nearly all the clergy left the colony.

After years of negotiations, a concordat between the Catholic Church and the Haitian government was signed on 28 March 1860. The concordat provided that the Catholic Church would have the special protection of the Government. The president would nominate the archbishop and the bishops, but the Pope could refuse them canonical institution. By 1909, Pontchâteau Seminary had sent 196 priests to Haiti, and St. Jacques had sent 171, for 92 parishes.

See, Wikipedia: Catholic Church in Haiti for further details.

=The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints Records=

Online Records
Information is available to current members only for 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
Members have been in Haiti since 1977. The first Church member in Haiti was Alexandre Mourra, who, after reading the Book of Mormon, traveled to Florida from his home to be taught and baptized by the missionaries on 30 June 1977.

On 2 July 1978, 22 Haitians were baptized in Hatte-Maree, near Port-au-Prince. In September of that year, J. Frederick Templeman of the Canadian embassy arrived. He and Alexandre Mourra helped organize the first branch (a small congregation), which was created in October 1980 in Port-au-Prince.

Missionary work opened in Haiti in May 1980 under the direction of the West Indies Mission. In 1982, 12 missionaries were serving in Haiti.

A branch was created in Petionville on 31 March 1981, with Alexandre Mourra as president; the branch was divided in 1982. At that time, the Haiti District was created and four missionaries were sent to Cap Hatien.

=References=