Argentina, Capital Federal, Catholic Church Records - FamilySearch Historical Records

Title in the Language of the Records
Registros Parroquiales de la Provincia de Capital Federal, Argentina

Record Description
These records are in Spanish. This Collection will include records from 1737 to 1977.

This collection includes baptism, confirmation, marriage and death records for the parishes of Inmaculada Concepción, Nuestra Señora de Balvanera, Nuestra Señora de Guadalupe, Nuestra Señora de la Merced, Nuestra Señora de Montserrat, Nuestra Señora de la Candelaria, Nuestra Señora de la Piedad, Nuestra Señora del Carmen, Nuestra Señora del Pilar, Nuestra Señora del Socorro, San Bernardo, San Carlos Borromeo, San Cristóbal, San José de Flores, San Juan Evangelista, San Miguel Arcángel, San Nicolás de Bari, San Pedro González Telmo and Santa Lucia, Virgen y Mártir in the city of Buenos Aires.

Earlier registers are handwritten in narrative style, and later records were handwritten on printed forms. Catholic Church parish registers are the major records available to identify individuals, parents, and spouses before 1930. After this date, civil authorities began registering vital statistics, which by law includes people of all religions. For genealogical purposes, the information in civil sources confirms and supplements the information in church records.

Records from some of these parishes have been indexed and are searchable as part of this collection. Additional indexed records will be published as they become available.

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.

Record Content
Birth records usually contain the following information:


 * Date of event
 * Place of event
 * Name of Child
 * Child's birth date
 * Father’s name
 * Father’s origin and age
 * Mother’s name
 * Mother’s origin and age
 * Parents' residence
 * Names of godparents

Confirmation records usually contain the following information:


 * Confirmation date
 * Name
 * Gender
 * Godparents

Marriage records usually contain the following information:


 * Date of event
 * Place of event
 * Name of groom
 * Groom’s age, race, origin and civil status
 * Groom’s place of residence
 * Groom's religion
 * Groom's occupation
 * Names of groom's parents and their origin
 * Can read and write
 * Name of bride
 * Bride’s age, race, origin and civil status
 * Bride’s place of residence
 * Bride’s religion
 * Bride's occupation
 * Names of bride's parents and their origin
 * Can read and write
 * Witness's name, age, origin and residence

Death Records may contain the following information:


 * Name of deceased
 * Date of death
 * Age of deceased
 * Residence of deceased
 * Cause of death
 * Witness's name, age and residence

How to Use the Record
To search this collection using the index: Fill in the requested information in the initial search page. This search will return a list of possible matches. Compare the information about the ancestors in the list to what you already know about your ancestors to determine if this is the correct family or person. You may need to compare the information about more than one person to find your ancestor.

To browse this collection you will need to follow this series of links: ⇒Select the "Browse" link in the initial search page ⇒Select the "City or Town" 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.

When you have located your ancestor’s record, carefully evaluate each piece of information given. These pieces of information may give you new biographical details that can lead you to other records about your ancestors. Add this new information to your records of each family.

When searching the index it is helpful to know the following:


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

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.

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

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, Capital Federal, Catholic Church Records, 1737-1989", index and images, FamilySearch (https://familysearch.org: accessed 28 March 2012), Lorenzo Chavez and Carmen Reinoso,  29 August 1888; citing Iglesia Católica. Nuestra Señora de Balvanera (Balvanera, Distrito Federal), Registros parroquiales, 1833-1934, Catholic Church. Archdiocese of Buenos Aires (Argentina), FHL microfilm 1,103,887; Family History Library, Salt Lake City, Utah.&lt;/gallery&gt;