Argentina, Río Negro, Catholic Church Records - FamilySearch Historical Records

Title in the Language of the Record
Registros Parroquiales de la Provincia de Río Negro, Argentina

Record Description
These records are in Spanish. This collection of church records for the period of 1880 to 1977 includes baptisms, confirmations, marriages and deaths for the cities of General Conesa, Guardia Mitre, Luis Beltrán and Viedma in the province of Río Negro.

The parishes contained in the collection are San Lorenzo Mártir, Inmaculada Concepción, Sagrado Corazón de Jesús and Nuestra Señora de las Mercedes.

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
Birth records usually include the following information:


 * Date of event
 * Place of event
 * Name of child
 * Child's birth date
 * Child's place of birth
 * Father’s name
 * Father’s age and place of origin
 * Mother’s name
 * Mother’s age and place of origin
 * Parents' residence
 * Godparents' names

Confirmation records usually include the following information:


 * Date and place of confirmation
 * Name and age
 * Parents
 * Godparents

Marriage records usually include the following information:


 * Date of event
 * Place of event
 * Name of groom and bride
 * Groom’s age, origin, civil status, residence and occupation
 * Groom's parents' names and origin
 * Bride's age, origin, civil status and residence
 * Bride's parents' names and origin
 * Witnesses' names
 * Witnesses' age, origin and civil status

Death records usually include the following information:


 * Parish place and date of event
 * Name of deceased
 * Age, civil status, residence of deceased
 * Date of death
 * Witnesses' names, age and residence
 * Witnesses' relationship to the deceased

How to Use the Record
To search the collection you will need to follow this series of links: ⇒ select "Browse" link in the initial collection page ⇒ Select the “City or Town” category ⇒ Select the “Parish” category ⇒ Select the “Record Type and Years” 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.

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.
 * 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.
 * The name of the officiator is a clue to their religion or area of residence in the county. However, ministers may have reported marriages performed in other counties.
 * 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.
 * 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.

Keep in mind:


 * The information in church records is usually reliable, but depends upon the reliability of the informant.
 * Earlier records may not contain as much information as the records created after the late 1800.
 * There is also some variation in the information given from one record to another.

If you are unable to find the ancestors you are looking for, try the following:


 * Check for variant spellings of the surnames.
 * Check for a different index. There are often indexes at the beginning of each volume.
 * Search the indexes and records of nearby localities.

Related Websites

 * Conferencia Episcopal Argentina
 * Aica on line
 * Arzobispado de La Plata

Related Wiki Articles

 * Argentina
 * Argentina Church Records
 * Argentina Church History

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.

A suggested format for keeping track of records that you have searched is found in the wiki article Help:How to Cite FamilySearch Collections.

Citation Example for a Record Found in This Collection
"Argentina, Rio Negro Province Catholic Church Records, 1880-1977," digital images, FamilySearch (https://familysearch.org; accessed 3 April 2012), Argentina, Río Negro, Catholic Church Records, 1880-1977 &gt; Viedma &gt; Nuestra Señora de las Mercedes &gt; Bautismos 1915-1922 &gt; image 200 of 539, Bernardo Miguel Figueroa, 29 September 1917; citing Parroquia de Nuestra Señora de las Mercedes,Viedma, Registros parroquiales, FHL microfilm 1,151,739, Diócesis de Viedma.