Mexico, Durango, Catholic Church Records - FamilySearch Historical Records

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Foreign Language Title
Registros Paroquiales de la Iglesia Católica en Durango, México.

Collection Time Period
This collection of parish records from Durango includes records for the years 1627-1978.

Record History
Catholic priests established parishes on the heels of the conquest starting in 1521. In 1527 the Roman Catholic Church established dioceses in Tlaxcala and Mexico City. Parishes were local congregations that may have included smaller villages within their boundaries. A large city may contain several parishes. The parishes had jurisdiction over both vice parishes (vice parroquias) and chapelries (feligresias). Multiple parishes (parroquias) were under the jurisdiction of a diocese. The highest level of government in the Catholic Church is the archdiocese (arquidiócesis), which is made up of several dioceses. In 1995 the Catholic Church in Mexico had 14 archdioceses; 58 dioceses; 5,345 parishes; and 1,611 chapelries (sub-parishes). In most cases, Mexican Catholic parish registers are the only record to identify individuals, parents, and spouses before 1859. After this date, civil authorities began registering vital statistics (nacimientos, matrimonios y defunciones) which by law includes people of all religions. The information in civil sources confirms and supplements the information in church records. Be sure to search both the parish and civil records after 1860. This collection covers the Catholic parishes in the state of Durango in which the majority of the population was Roman Catholic. Only in the late 19th century did other religious groups organize congregations in the area.

Why This Record Was Created
Authorized Catholic priests created separate parish registers to record the church sacraments of baptism (bautismo), confirmation (confirmación), marriage (casamiento/matrimonio), and burial (defunción/entierro) at the parish level.

Record Reliability
Catholic Church parish registers are a reliable source of information for family history research, and the primary source for baptisms, marriage, and death records in Mexico prior to 1859. Catholic Church parish records can be used to complement information found in civil registers after 1859.

Record Description
Separate books were kept for baptisms, confirmations, marriage banns, marriages, and burials or deaths, however, in smaller areas all records may be recorded on one register. The entries were normally made in chronological order. Most of the marriage banns (informaciones matrimoniales) were included in the marriage entry in smaller parishes, however, in larger parishes this records may be registered separately. In larger parishes a separate book of confirmations was usually maintained, while in smaller parishes the confirmations may have been included with the baptisms or even with marriages.

Record Content
The key genealogical facts found in most baptismal records are:


 * Date of baptism
 * Event place (most always the parish saint name)
 * Gender
 * Name of the person being baptized
 * Age of the person being baptized or birth date
 * Legitimacy
 * Parents names
 * Marital status of parents
 * Sometimes the place of origin and/or residence of the parents
 * Social class of the parents in baptismal entries prior to 1820
 * In some registers the race is included
 * Grandparents and godparents

The key genealogical facts found in most marriage records are:


 * Date of marriage
 * Event place (most always the parish saint name)
 * Name of groom and bride
 * Age and civil status of groom and bride
 * Parents names
 * Place of origin and residence of the marriage partners, sometimes even that of the parents
 * In some registers the race is included

The key genealogical facts found in most burial/death records are: 


 * Date of death and/or burial
 * Event place (most always the parish saint name)
 * Name of the deceased person
 * Parents or /and spouse, if the person was married
 * Age of the deceased person
 * Place of origin and/or residence of the deceased
 * Legitimacy
 * In some registers the race is included

How to Use the Record
In most cases, Mexican Catholic parish registers are the only record to identify individuals, parents, and spouses before 1859. After this date, civil authorities began registering vital statistics (nacimientos, matrimonios y defunciones) which by law includes people of all religions. The information in civil sources confirms and supplements the information in church records. Be sure to search both the parish and civil records after 1860.

Related Websites
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Related Wiki Articles
Mexico Church Records

Source of This Collection
Digital images of original records housed at the archive in each parish mentioned in the collection.

Citations for an image or index published in FamilySearch Collections
Instructions for citing this source can be found at: How to Cite FamilySearch Collections