India, Archdiocese of Goa, Roman Catholic Priesthood Candidates(FamilySearch Historical Records)

Record Description
This collection contains dossiers, or detailed documents, of any candidates that were appointed to or achieved advancement in the Roman Catholic priesthood in the Archdiocese of Goa, India. The collection will include records from 1700-1996. These documents include proclamations of worthiness, pedigrees, baptismal records, completion of studies, and other forms. The original records are located in the Archive of the Archdiocese in Panaji, Goa, India.

The Archdiocese of Goa presently comprises Goa, Daman, Diu, Dadra and Nagar Haveli in India.

For more information regarding the local history and current events for the Archdiocese, see India History and Archdiocese of Goa and Daman.

Record Content
Records may contain the following information:
 * Name of Candidate
 * Date and Place of Birth
 * Parents’ Names
 * Date and Place of Baptism
 * Godparents’ Names
 * Name and Place of Seminary

How to Use the Record
This section provides information on how to search the collection, what to do with information once found, some tips on how to find records, and some additional information about the records.

When searching: As you are searching it is helpful to know such information as your ancestor's given name and surname, some identifying information such as residence, age, and family relationships.

Search the Collection
To search by image: To search the collection you will need to follow this series of links: ⇒Select "Browse through images" on the initial collection page ⇒ Select the 'Shelf Number, Volume Number, Candidate's Name (Year Range)' category which takes you to the images.

Search the collection by image comparing the information with what you already know about your ancestors to determine if the image relates to them. You may need to look at several images and compare the information about the individuals listed in those images to your ancestors to make this determination.

For Help Reading These Records
These records are in Portuguese. For help with reading the records, see the following resources:
 * Portuguese Genealogical Word List
 * English-Portuguese Dictionary

Using the Information
Use the baptismal date to estimate an age and birth date.

Tips to Keep in Mind

 * Remember that there may be more than one person in the records with the same name as your ancestor and that your ancestor may have used nicknames or different names at different times.
 * When looking for a person who had a common name, look at all the entries for the name before deciding which is correct.
 * Check for variant spellings of the names.
 * Search the records of nearby principalities (for example: Karnataka and Maharashtra).

General Information about These Records
A diocese is a region directed by a bishop of a Christian organization. A diocese is then divided into parishes which are overseen by a parish priest. An archdiocese is more substantial than a diocese and is presided over by an archbishop.

Europeans, including the Portuguese, were forced to find a sea route to India after the land route was permanently closed due to the fall of Constantinople to the Turks in 1453. With a new sea route to India, the doors of Christianity were wide open and the Catholic Church quickly spread throughout the east. Six years later, the Portuguese established Portuguese India (or the State of India) near Kochi along the western coast of India by the Arabian Sea. The capitol seat moved to Goa after 1510 and the Roman Catholic Archdiocese of Goa and Daman was organized. Portugal retained governmental control in its Indian territories until the mid-1900s.

Related Websites

 * India Office Family History Search
 * Tracing your Asian roots on the Indian subcontinent

Related Wiki Articles

 * India Church Records
 * India

Citations for this Collection
When you copy information from a record, you should list where you found the information; that is, cite your sources. This will help people find the record again and evaluate the reliability of the source. 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. Citations are available for the collection as a whole and each record or image individually.

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