Mexico, Baja California and Baja California Sur, Catholic Church Records - FamilySearch Historical Records: Difference between revisions

{{FamilySearch_Collection|CID=CID1506640 |title=Mexico, Baja California and Baja California Sur Catholic Church Records|location=Mexican|

Registros Parroquiales de la Iglesia Católica en el Estado de Baja California y en el Estado de Baja California Sur, México

 

This collection covers church records from parishes in Baja California and Baja California Sur for the years 1750 to 1983. <br>Separate books were kept for baptisms, confirmations, marriage information [[Image:Ensenada Grande.jpg|thumb|right]]documents, marriages, and burials. However, in smaller areas, all records may be recorded on one register. In larger parishes a separate book was usually maintained for confirmations, while in smaller parishes the confirmations may have been included with the baptisms. Similarly, marriage information documents may have been included with marriages. In larger parishes, most of the marriage banns (informaciones matrimoniales) may be registered separately. In smaller parishes, these records were included in the marriage entry. In smaller parishes, the confirmations may have been included with the baptisms or even with marriages. In larger parishes, a separate book of confirmations was usually maintained.  

The records are in relatively fair condition, with the exception of some[[Image:Baja California.jpg|thumb|right]] older records that may be damaged and, therefore, hard to read or missing some information. Most of the older records are handwritten in narrative style and follow a common text with some variations depending on the style used by the priest. Newer records are handwritten in formatted registers; some are even written in ledger style registers.  

The entries were normally made in chronological order. Confirmations were not consistently recorded.

[[Image:Mexico Baja California Catholic Church Records Baptism.jpg|thumb|right]]  

[[Image:Mexico Baja California Catholic Church Records Marriage.jpg|thumb|right]]  

[[Image:Mexico Baja California Catholic Church Records Death.jpg|thumb|right]]  

Parish registers were kept by the priest at the parish level. Parishes were[[Image:Baja California2.jpg|thumb|right|128x125px]] local congregations that may have included smaller villages within their boundaries. A large city may have contained several parishes. The parishes had jurisdiction over both vice parishes (vice parroquias) and chapelries (capillar foraneas). Multiple parishes (parroquias) were under the jurisdiction of a diocese. The highest level of government in the Catholic Church was the archdiocese (arquidiócesis), which was made up of several dioceses. In 1995 the Catholic Church in Mexico had 14 archdioceses; 58 dioceses; 5,345 parishes; and 1,611 chapelries (subparishes). This collection covers the Catholic Church population living in parishes in the states of Baja California and Baja California Sur. The majority of the population of these two states was Roman Catholic, and entries for them are found in parish registers. Only in the late 19th century did other religious groups begin to be established in the area.