Cape Verde Church Records

For information about records for non-Christian religions in Cape Verde, go to the Religious Records page.

Online Resources and Websites

 * 1787-1957 at FamilySearch — index and images (records in Portuguese)
 * British Armed Forces and Overseas Births and Baptisms, Cape Verde, index and images ($)
 * British Armed Forces and Overseas Births and Baptisms, Africa, index and images ($)


 * British Armed Forces and Overseas Banns and Marriages, Cape Verde, index and images ($)
 * British Armed Forces and Overseas Banns and Marriages, Africa, index and images ($)


 * British Armed Forces and Overseas Deaths and Burials, index and images ($)

Historical Background
Christianity is the largest religion in Cape Verde, with Roman Catholics having the most adherents. Different sources give varying estimates on the relative sizes of various Christian denominations. More than 93% of the population of Cape Verde is nominally Roman Catholic, according to an informal poll taken by local churches. About 5% of the population is Protestant. The largest Protestant denomination is the Church of the Nazarene. Other groups include the Seventh-day Adventist Church, the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints, the Assemblies of God, the Universal Church of the Kingdom of God, the New Apostolic Church and various other Pentecostal and Evangelical groups.

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:

Marriages
Marriage registers can give:

Burials
Burial registers may give:

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 FamilySearch Center near you, and/or by members of supporting organizations. To find records:
 * a. Click on the records of Cape Verde.
 * b. Click on Places within Cape Verde 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 Portuguese Letter-writing Guide for help with composing letters.
 * List of churches in Cape Verde
 * Maps.me Church Directory for Cape Verde

Writing for Records

 * Google Maps search results for Assembly of God churches in Cape Verde

Historical Background
The Assemblies of God was founded in the early 1900s and reached Africa soon afterwards.

Writing to a Local Parish
Earlier records can be held at the diocese, with more recent records still kept in the local parish. To locate the mailing address or e-mail address for a diocese or local parish, consult:
 * The Catholic Directory: Cape Verde

Historical Background
Cape Verde was discovered and colonized by Portugal in the 1400s. Catholicism was established on Cape Verde by Portuguese traders in 1533. Church records were kept from the 1600s onward. Many are available online.

Online Records
Online information is available to current members, 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
Missionary work began in Cape Verde in 1988 which resulted in the creation of the Praia/Lajes Branch a short time later. Total Church Membership: 14,967. Congregations: 42.

Writing for Records

 * Google Maps search results for Nazarene churches in Cape Verde

Historical Records
The Church of the Nazarene was established in 1908 and soon afterwards entered Africa. It is the largest Protestant denomination in Cape Verde.

Writing for Records

 * Google Maps search results for Evangelical churches in Cape Verde

Historical Records
Evangelicalism has been in Africa since the late 1800s. However, in the 1920s and 1930s there was a revival movement in East Africa. This revival contributed to the substantial growth of Evangelicalism in Cape Verde.

Writing for Records

 * Google Maps search results for Pentecostal churches in Cape Verde

Historical Records
Pentecostalism spread to Africa in the early 1900s by missionaries.

Writing for Records

 * Google Maps search results for Seventh-day Adventist churches in Cape Verde

Writing for Records

 * Google Maps search results for Universal Church of the Kingdom of God churches in Cape Verde

Historical Records
The Universal Church of the Kingdom of God was founded in 1977.