Locating Mexico Catholic Church Parish Records

Church Records at the Family History Library
The Family History Library has, on microfilm, most of the Mexican church records prior to 1930. This collection continues to grow as new records are microfilmed. The specific holdings are listed in the Family History Library Catalog. You can determine whether the library has records for the locality from which your ancestor came by performing a Place Search for the parish where your ancestors lived. To find parish records in the Family History Library Catalog, look under:


 * MEXICO, [STATE], [TOWN]- CHURCH RECORDS

Search the name of the town where the parish was located, not necessarily the town where your ancestor lived. If the city has more than one parish, the catalog will list all parishes by name.

New records are continually being added to the Family History Library collection from numerous sources. Do not give up if records you need are not yet available. Check the Family History Library Catalog periodically for the records you need.

Records Not At the Family History Library
If the Family History Library does not have copies of the baptism, marriage, or death or burial records you need, you may contact or visit the local parish that has that information. Since Mexico has no single repository of church records, you must contact the appropriate parish. Write your requests in Spanish whenever possible. Information about how to write for genealogical information is given in the Spanish Letter Writing Guide.

When requesting information by mail, send:


 * A check or cash for the search fee, which is usually $10.00.
 * The full name and the sex of the person sought.
 * The names of the ancestor’s parents, if known.
 * The approximate date and place of the event about which you want information.
 * Your relationship to the person.
 * The reason for the request (family history, medical history, and so on.)
 * A request for a photocopy of the complete original record.

If your request for information is unsuccessful, search for duplicate records that may have been filed in other archives such as Diocesan archives.