Argentina, Santa Cruz, Catholic Church Records - FamilySearch Historical Records

Title in the Language of the Record
Registros Parroquiales de la Provincia de Santa Cruz, Argentina

Record Description
These records are in Spanish. This collection of church records for the period of 1886 to 1964 includes baptisms, marriages and deaths for the parish of Nuestra Señora de Luján in the city of Río Gallegos in the Santa Cruz Province.

For a list of localities currently published in this collection, select the Browse link from the collection landing page.

Record Content
Baptismal records usually include the following information:


 * Parish place and date of event
 * Name of deceased
 * Age and gender of deceased
 * Date of birth
 * Place of birth
 * Date of death and time
 * Cause of death
 * Residence of deceased
 * Religion, race and occupation of deceased
 * Witness' names, age and residence

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

For Help Reading These Records
These records are in Spanish. For help reading the records, see the following wiki articles:


 * Spanish Genealogical Word List
 * Argentina Language and Languages

Related Websites

 * Province of Santa Cruz Maps
 * Province of Santa Cruz History

Related Wiki Articles

 * Argentina
 * Province of Santa Cruz
 * Argentina Church Records
 * Argentina Church History

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. Collection Citation: Image Citation