New Mexico Church Records

Prior to 1900 the largest religious group in New Mexico was the Roman Catholic Church. Other churches represented in New Mexico include the Methodist Episcopal, Baptist, Presbyterian, and Christian.

The Family History Library has an extensive collection of Roman Catholic Church records from 1694 to 1957 for the areas served by the Archdiocese of Santa Fe and the Diocese of Las Cruces.

From 1678 to 1869 the Catholic Church investigated the blood relationship of couples before they were allowed to marry. Some genealogical information in the records of the Archdiocese of Santa Fe has been extracted and published in Angelico Chavez, New Mexico Roots LTD: A Demographic Perspective from Genealogical, Historical, and Geographical Data Found in the Diligencias Matrimoniales or Pre-nuptial Investigations (1678-1869), 11 Volumes. (Not Published, 1982; book 978.9 D2ca; fiche 6051367). This source lists the names of the bride and groom, the date of marriage, and the parents' names.

Several histories of the Catholic missions and of early churchmen have been published, such as Francisco A. Dominquez, The Missions of New Mexico, 1776 (Albuquerque, New Mexico: University of New Mexico Press, 1956; Family History Library book 978.9 K2d).

You can write to the following addresses for further information about Roman Catholic records:

Archdiocese of Santa Fe 4000 St. Joseph Place N.W. Albuquerque, NM 87120 Telephone: 505-831-8100 Fax: 505-831-8345 Internet: http://www.archdiocesesantafe.org/

Diocese of Gallup 711 S. Puerco Drive Gallup, NM 87301 Telephone: 505-863-4406 Fax: 505-722-9131 Mailing Address: P.O. Box 1338 Gallup, NM 87301 Internet: http://www.dioceseofgallup.org/

Diocese of Las Cruces 1280 Med Park Las Cruces, NM 88004 Telephone: 505-523-7577 Fax: 505-524-3874 Mailing Address: P.O. Box 16318 Las Cruces, NM 88004 Internet: http://www.dioceseoflascruces.org/

To locate church records see Directory of Churches and Religious Organizations in New Mexico, 1940 (Albuquerque, New Mexico: New Mexico Historical Records Survey, 1940; Family History Library book 978.9 K24n; fiche 6051186).