Brazil Catholic Church Records - FamilySearch Historical Records

Title in the Language of the Record
Registros Paroquiais da Igreja Católica em Brasil

Record Description
This collection includes records from 1835 to 2012.

The collection has baptism, marriage and death records for parishes throughout the states of Bahia, Ceará, Maranhão, Minas Gerais, Paraná, Paraíba, Pará, Pernambuco, Rio Grande do Norte, Rio Grande do Sul, Rio de Janeiro, Santa Catarina, Sergipe and São Paulo.

Each type of record is bound in separate registers. Most records follow the same format; in earlier years, however, the records were written in narrative form and later in formatted records. Some of the older registers may appear to have some physical damage; therefore some data may have been lost or may be very difficult to read. However, in general they are in good condition to extract genealogical information.

Catholic Church records began in Brazil with the arrival of the ministers from Portugal. Parish priests performed the sacraments of baptisms and marriages and other holy sacraments in the parish under their jurisdiction. All the original parish records were kept in the parish archive and a duplicate copy was sent to the diocesan archive. These records are a reliable source for doing genealogical research in all of Brazil.

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

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

Suggested citation format for a record in this collection.

Record Content
These baptism records usually include the following information:


 * Date of baptism (Select image to enlarge)
 * Place of baptism
 * Name of child
 * Child's birth date
 * Child's place of birth
 * Legitimacy
 * Parents' names
 * Godparents' names

These marriage records usually include the following information:


 * Date of marriage (Select image to enlarge)
 * 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
 * Witneess' names

These death records usually include the following information:


 * Date of death (Select image to enlarge)
 * Place of death
 * Name and age of deceased
 * Marital status of deceased and spouse’s name
 * Burial place

How to Use the Records
To browse this collection you will need to follow this series of links: ⇒Select the "Browse" link in the initial search page ⇒Select the "Municipality" category ⇒Select the "Parish" category ⇒Select the "Record Type and Years" category which takes you to the images.

Look at the images one by one comparing the information with what you already know about your ancestors to determine which one is your ancestor. You may need to compare the information about more than one person to make this determination. Keep in mind:


 * There may be more than one person in the records with the same name.
 * You may not be sure of your own ancestor’s name.
 * Your ancestor may have used different names or variations of their name throughout their life.

The Catholic Church parish records are an excellent source for genealogical research in Brazil. These may also be the only available records before the implementation of the civil registration in about 1888. These records may include other family information that will help in the research for other generations. In order to find an entry in this collection, it is necessary to know first the place where the ancestors lived, the year, and his/her name.

FamilySearch Historical Record Collections

 * Brazil, Bahía, Catholic Church Records (FamilySearch Historical Records)
 * Brazil, Ceará, Catholic Church Records (FamilySearch Historical Records)
 * Brazil, Maranhão, Catholic Church Records (FamilySearch Historical Records)
 * Brazil, Minas Gerais, Catholic Church Records (FamilySearch Historical Records)
 * Brazil, Parana, Catholic Church Records (FamilySearch Historical Records)
 * Brazil, Pará, Catholic Church Records (FamilySearch Historical Records)
 * Brazil, Pernambuco, Catholic Church Records (FamilySearch Historical Records)
 * Brazil, Rio Grande do Norte, Catholic Church Records (FamilySearch Historical Records)
 * Brazil, Rio Grande do Sul, Catholic Church Records (FamilySearch Historical Records)
 * Brazil, Rio de Janeiro, Catholic Church Records (FamilySearch Historical Records)
 * Brazil, Santa Catarina, Catholic Church Records (FamilySearch Historical Records)
 * Brazil, Sergipe, Catholic Church Records (FamilySearch Historical Records)
 * Brazil, São Paulo, Catholic Church Records (FamilySearch Historical Records)

Related Websites

 * Brazil Catholic Church Records

Related Wiki Articles

 * Brazil
 * Brazil Church Records

Contributions to This Article
If you would like to see more citations of the Brazil Catholic Church Records, please follow these two links:


 * Brazil, Catholic Church Records Source Citations
 * Brazil, Catholic Church Source Citations: Page Two

Sources


 * Igreja Católica. Diocese de Luz (Luz, Minas Gerais). Registros paroquiais, 1835-1966.
 * Igreja Católica. Diocese de Campanha (Campanha, Minas Gerais). Registros paroquiais, 1763-1980.
 * Igreja Católica. Diocese de Divinópolis (Divinópolis, Minas Gerais). Registros paroquiais, 1793-1975.
 * Igreja Católica. Diocese de Oliveira (Oliveira, Minas Gerais). Registros paroquiais, 1800-1984.
 * Igreja Católica. Diocese de Amargosa (Amargosa, Bahia). Registros paroquiais, 1805-1950.
 * Igreja Católica. Diocese de Apucaraná (Apucaraná, Paraná). Registros paroquiais, 1942-1991.
 * Igreja Católica. Diocese de Palmares (Palmares, Pernambuco). Registros paroquiais, 1786-1969.
 * Igreja Católica. Diocese de Estância (Estância, Sergipe). Registros paroquiais, 1790-1980.
 * Igreja Católica. Arquidiocese de Aparecida (Aparecida, São Paulo). Registros paroquiais, 1720-1980.
 * Igreja Católica. Arquidiocese de Belém (Belém, Pará). Registros paroquiais, 1795-1955.
 * Igreja Católica. Diocese de Propriá (Propriá, Sergipe). Registros paroquiais, 1840-1960.

Citation Example for a Record Found in This Collection
"Brazil, Catholic Church Records," images, FamilySearch (https://familysearch.org: accessed 3 May 2012), Bahia &gt; Abrantes &gt; Divino Espirito Santo &gt; Batismos 1886, Abr-1897, Dez &gt; Image 114 of 115, Joaquin Gonzaga, born 26 August 1897; citing Parishes throughout Brazil, Brazil Catholic Church Records, from dioceses and local parish archives throughout Brazil.