Cabo Verde Church Records

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Cabo Verde

Church Records

For information about records for non-Christian religions in Cabo Verde, go to the Religious Records page.

Online Resources and Websites

• 1787-1957 Cabo Verde, Catholic Church Records, 1787-1957 at FamilySearch — index & images (records in Portuguese)

• British Armed Forces and Overseas Births and Baptisms, Cabo Verde, index & images ($)
• British Armed Forces and Overseas Births and Baptisms, Africa, index & images ($)

• British Armed Forces and Overseas Banns and Marriages, Cabo Verde , index & images ($)
• British Armed Forces and Overseas Banns and Marriages, Africa, index & images ($)

• British Armed Forces and Overseas Deaths and Burials, index & images ($)

Historical Background

Christianity is the largest religion in Cabo Verde, with Roman Catholics having the most adherents. Different sources give varying estimates on the relative sizes of various Christian denominations. More than 93% of the population of Cabo Verde is nominally Roman Catholic, according to an informal poll taken by local churches. About 5% of the population is Protestant. The largest Protestant denomination is the Church of the Nazarene. Other groups include the Seventh-day Adventist Church, the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints, the Assemblies of God, the Universal Church of the Kingdom of God, the New Apostolic Church and various other Pentecostal and Evangelical groups.

Information Recorded in the Records

Different denominations, different time periods, and practices of different record keepers will effect how much information can be found in the records. This outline will show the types of details which might be found (best case scenario):

Baptisms

In Catholic and Anglican records, children were usually baptized a few days after birth, and therefore, the baptism record proves date of birth. Other religions, such as Baptists, baptized at other points in the member's life. Baptism registers might give:

baptism date the infant's name parents' names father's occupation

status of legitimacy occasionally, names of grandparents names of witnesses or godparents, who may be relatives

birth date and place the family's place of residence death information, as an added note or signified by a cross

Marriages

Marriage registers can give:

the marriage date the names of the bride and groom indicate whether the bride and groom were single or widowed their ages

birth dates and places for the bride and groom their residences their occupations

birthplaces of the bride and groom parents' names (after 1800) the names of previous spouses and their death dates names of witnesses, who might be relatives.

Burials

Burial registers may give:

the name of the deceased the date and place of death or burial the deceased's age place of residence

cause of death the names of survivors, especially a widow or widower deceased's birth date and place parents' names, or at least the father's name

How to Find Records

Digital Copies of Church Records in the FamilySearch Catalog

Watch for digitized copies of church records to be added to the collection of the FamilySearch Library. Some records might have viewing restrictions, and can only be viewed at a FamilySearch Center near you, and/or by members of supporting organizations. To find records:

a. Click on the records of Cabo Verde.

b. Click on Places within Cabo Verde and a list of towns will appear.

c. Click on your town if it appears, or the location which you believe was the parish which served your town or village.

d. Click on the "Church records" topic. Click on the blue links to specific record titles.

e. Some combination of these icons will appear at the far right of the listing for the record. . The magnifying glass indicates that the record is indexed. Clicking on the magnifying glass will take you to the index. Clicking on the camera will take you to an online digital copy of the records.

Writing for Records

You will probably need to write to or email the national archives, the diocese, or local parish priests to find records. See Portuguese Letter-writing Guide for help with composing letters.

• List of churches in Cabo Verde
• Maps.me Church Directory for Cabo Verde

Assembly of God Church Records

Writing for Records

• Google Maps search results for Assembly of God churches in Cabo Verde

Historical Background

The Assemblies of God was founded in the early 1900s and reached Africa soon afterwards.

Catholic Church Records

Writing to a Local Parish

Earlier records can be held at the diocese, with more recent records still kept in the local parish. To locate the mailing address or e-mail address for a diocese or local parish, consult:

• The Catholic Directory: Cabo Verde

Historical Background

Cabo Verde was discovered and colonized by Portugal in the 1400s. Catholicism was established on Cabo Verde by Portuguese traders in 1533. Church records were kept from the 1600s onward. Many are available online.

The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints Records

Online Records

Online information is available to current members, for deceased members and immediate family members who are still living. Sign in to FamilySearch and then select Family Tree in the drop-down menu.

Historical Background

Missionary work began in Cabo Verde in 1988 which resulted in the creation of the Praia/Lajes Branch a short time later. Total Church Membership: 14,967. Congregations: 42.

Church of the Nazarene Church Records

Writing for Records

• Google Maps search results for Nazarene churches in Cabo Verde

Historical Records

The Church of the Nazarene was established in 1908 and soon afterwards entered Africa. It is the largest Protestant denomination in Cabo Verde.

Eastern Orthodox Church Records

Dioceses and Archdiocese of the Greek Orthodox Church of Alexandria and of All Africa

Cabo Verde is included in the Archdiocese of Guinea.

Evangelical Church Records

Writing for Records

• Google Maps search results for Evangelical churches in Cabo Verde

Historical Records

Evangelicalism has been in Africa since the late 1800s. However, in the 1920s and 1930s there was a revival movement in East Africa. This revival contributed to the substantial growth of Evangelicalism in Cabo Verde.

Pentecostal Church Records

Writing for Records

• Google Maps search results for Pentecostal churches in Cabo Verde

Historical Records

Pentecostalism spread to Africa in the early 1900s by missionaries.

Seventh-Day Adventist Church Records

Writing for Records

• Google Maps search results for Seventh-day Adventist churches in Cabo Verde

Universal Church of the Kingdom of God Church Records

Writing for Records

• Google Maps search results for Universal Church of the Kingdom of God churches in Cabo Verde

Historical Records

The Universal Church of the Kingdom of God was founded in 1977.

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