Honduras, Catholic Church Records - FamilySearch Historical Records

Title in the Language of the Records
Registros Parroquiales de la Iglesia Católica en Honduras.

Record Description
This collection will include records from 1633 to 1978. A list of the cities and parishes contained in this collection is found in the Parishes in Honduras coverage table.

In 1563, the Council of Trent formalized record-keeping practices that were already being followed in much of the Catholic world. Separate record books were to be maintained for baptisms, confirmations, marriages, and deaths or burials, and the format was standardized. However, in smaller areas, all records may be recorded on one register. Following this format, the Catholic Church was the primary record keeper for Honduras until the civil registration started in 1859. After 1859, these records can be used to complement civil registration. A large percentage, if not all, of the population is listed in these records. The entries were normally made in chronological order.

These records are in Spanish. For help with reading the records, see the Spanish Genealogical Word List article.

The records are in relatively fair condition, with the exception of some older records that may be damaged and therefore hard to read or may be missing some information. Most of the older records are handwritten in narrative style and follow a common text with some variations depending on the style used by the priest. Newer records are handwritten in formatted registers; some are even written in ledger-style registers.

For a list of record categories currently published in this collection, select the Browse link from the collection landing page.

Record Content
Death records generally contain the following information:
 * Name of the deceased
 * Date and place of the death
 * Name of deceased's father
 * Name of deceased's mother
 * Name of deceased's spouse
 * Date and place of burial

Search the Collection
To search by index: Fill in the requested information in the initial search page. This search will return a list of possible matches. Compare the information about the ancestors in the list to what you already know about your ancestors to determine if this is the correct family or person. You may need to compare the information about more than one person to find your ancestor.

To search by image: To search the collection you will need to follow this series of links: ⇒Select "Browse through images" on the initial collection page ⇒Select "Department" ⇒Select "City or Town" ⇒Select "Parish" ⇒Select "Record Type and Years," which takes you to the images.

Search the collection by image comparing the information with what you already know about your ancestors to determine if the image relates to them. You may need to look at several images and compare the information about the individuals listed in those images to your ancestors to make this determination.

When searching: As you are searching it is helpful to know such information as your ancestor's given name and surname, some identifying information such as residence, age, and family relationships. Remember that there may be more than one person in the records with the same name as your ancestor and that your ancestor may have used nicknames or different names at different times.

For Help Reading These Records
These records are in Spanish. For help with reading the records, see the following resources:
 * Spanish Genealogical Word List
 * BYU Spanish Script Tutorial

Using the Information
In most cases, Catholic parish registers are the only records before 1859 that identify individuals, parents, and spouses. After this date, civil authorities began registering vital statistics (nacimientos, matrimonios, y defunciones) that by law included people of all religions. The information in civil sources confirms and supplements the information in church records. Be sure to search both the parish and civil records after 1860.

Looking in the same collection, you may be able to identify other members of the family:


 * Compile the marriage entries for every person who has the same surname as the bride or groom; this is especially helpful in rural areas or if the surname is unusual.
 * 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.
 * If you want to find more information about the family, the pieces of information may give you new biographical details that can lead you to other records.

For example:


 * Use the marriage date and place as the basis for compiling a new family group or for verifying existing information.
 * Use the birth date or age along with the place of birth of each partner to find a couple’s birth records and parents’ names.
 * Use the birth date or age along with the place of birth to find the family in census records.
 * Use the residence and names of the parents to locate church and land records.
 * Use occupations to look for other types of records such as employment or military records.
 * Use the parents’ birthplaces to find former residences and to establish a migration pattern for the family.
 * The name of the officiator is a clue to the family’s religion or area of residence in the county. However, ministers may have reported marriages performed in other counties.
 * Use the marriage number to identify previous marriages.

Unable to Find Your Ancestors?
If you are unable to find the ancestors you are looking for, try the following:


 * Check for variant spellings of the surnames.
 * Search for the marriage record of the marriage partner if known.
 * Check for a different index. There are often indexes at the beginning of each volume.
 * Search the indexes and records of nearby counties.

Related Websites

 * Honduras Maps
 * Honduras History

Related Wiki Articles
Honduras

Citing FamilySearch Historical Collections
When you copy information from a record, you should list where you found the information. This will help you or others to find the record again. It is also good to keep track of records where you did not find information, including the names of the people you looked for in the records.

Citation for This Collection
Citations for individual image records are available for this collection. Browse through images in this collection and click on the "Show Citation" box: Honduras, Catholic Church Records, 1633-1978

The following citation refers to the original source of the information published in FamilySearch.org Historical Record collections. Sources include the author, custodian, publisher, and archive for the original records.