Argentina, Santa Fe, Catholic Church Records - FamilySearch Historical Records

Why Should I Look at This Collection?
Church records are crucial for genealogical research, since civil authorities did not begin registering vital statistics until after 1886. After this date one should search in both church and civil records as there may be information in one that does not appear in the other. For instance the church records may only list the godparents whereas the civil records may list the grandparents. Church records are the most important records for genealogical research in Argentina. The vast majority of Argentines were Catholic and were registered in the records of the local parish or diocese which are called registros parroquiales (parish registers). These records include entries for baptisms, marriage information, marriages, deaths, and burials. They can help you trace and link families. Often two and sometimes three generations are indicated in the records. In addition, church records may include church censuses, account books, confirmations, and other church-related records.

Some church records have been lost or have deteriorated due to natural effects, such as humidity and insects, and more dramatic events such as fire, floods and earthquakes. Civil and political strife have also caused the destruction of parish books. Some records were destroyed or damaged because of poor storage. However, many records considered lost are simply misplaced or misidentified.

In 1886 the civil government began keeping vital records (civil registration). If you are looking for ancestors who came before this time, then the Catholic Church parish registers are the best records available to identify these individuals, since church records were around for hundreds of years prior to civil registration. For civil vital records of births, deaths, and marriages after 1886, see Argentina Civil Registration (Registro Civil).

What is in This Collection?
This is a collection of church records for the period of 1634 to 1975. It includes baptisms, confirmations, marriages and deaths for the parishes in the Santa Fe province. As of 20 December 2016 this collection included records from the following cities or towns:

Reading These Records
These records are written in Spanish; 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:

Birth Records
 * Date of event
 * Place of event
 * Name of child
 * Child's birth date
 * Parents' names, age, origin, and residence
 * Godparents’s names age, origin, and residence

Confirmation Records
 * Name and age
 * Parents
 * Godparents

Marriage Records
 * Date of event
 * Place of event
 * Name of groom
 * Groom’s civil status, race, and age
 * Groom’s birthplace
 * Groom’s place and date of baptism
 * Groom’s legitimacy and parents’ names
 * Name of bride
 * Bride’s civil status, race, and age
 * Bride’s birthplace
 * Bride’s place and date of baptism
 * Bride’s legitimacy and parents’ names
 * Names of witnesses or godparents

Death Records
 * Name of deceased, age and residence
 * Parish
 * Place and date of death
 * Cause of death
 * Witnesses' names,age and residence

How Do I Search This Collection?
You can search the index or view the images or both. Before searching this collection, it is helpful to know:


 * The place where the event occurred
 * The first name of the person
 * The approximate date of the event
 * The name of the parents or spouse

View the Images
View images in this collection by visiting the 
 * 1) Select City or Town
 * 2) Select Parish
 * 3) Select Record Type and Years 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.

For more tips about searching on-line collections see the on-line article FamilySearch Search Tips and Tricks.

For Help Reading These Records
For help reading these Spanish records, see the following wiki articles:


 * Spanish Genealogical Word List
 * Reading Spanish handwritten records
 * Script tutorial for Spanish
 * Argentina 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 the Person I Was Looking For, What Now?

 * 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 to find the family in Argentina Census records
 * Use the death date or age along with the place of death to find birth records
 * Occupations listed can lead you to other types of records such as employment or military records
 * Use the parents' birth places to find former residences and to establish a migration pattern for the family
 * Compile information for every person who has the same surname as your ancestor; this is especially helpful in rural areas or if the surname is unusual
 * Continue to search the records to identify children, siblings, parents, and other relatives 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
 * Use the marriage number to identify previous marriages
 * When looking for a person who had a common name, look at all the entries for the name before deciding which is correct

I Can’t Find Who I’m Looking For, What Now?
Civil registration records are also a good source of genealogical information. You should obtain copies of both church records and civil registration, when possible, since they do not necessarily provide the same information. For example, baptismal registers sometimes provide the names of the fathers of illegitimate children when the civil registration does not New information is constantly being indexed, microfilmed or updated. Periodically check back and see if your ancestor’s records have been added. You can see if the area you’ve been looking in has been recently updated by going to Historical Records Collections and notice the asterisk for recently added or updated records.
 * Consult Argentina Record Finder table to find other records
 * Vary the search terms. For example, search by either the given name or surname to return broader list of possible candidates which can then be examined for matches. Or try expanding the date range; this is especially useful in searching baptismal records, as it was not unusual for a child to be baptized weeks or even months after birth
 * Check for variants of given names, surnames, and place names or Spanish name abbreviations
 * A boundary change could have occurred, and the record of your ancestor is now in a neighboring area. Search the records and indexes of neighboring cities, provinces, and regions immigration/emigration records can also be useful to find ancestor

New information is constantly being indexed, microfilmed or updated. Periodically check back and see if your ancestor’s records have been added. You can see if the area you’ve been looking in has been recently updated by going to Historical Records Collections and notice the asterisk for recently added or updated records.

Known Issues With This Collection
For a full list of all known issues associated with this collection see the attached 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.

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:

"Argentina, Santa Fe, Catholic Church Records, 1634-1975." Database with Images. FamilySearch. http://FamilySearch.org : accessed 2017. Citing Parroquias Católicas, Santa Fe [Catholic Church parishes, Santa Fe].}}

Top of Page