Argentina, La Rioja, Catholic Church Records, 1714-1970

What is in This Collection?

This collection of church records for the period of 1714 to 1970 includes baptisms, confirmations, marriages and deaths for the cities of Aimogasta, Anillaco, Chilecito, Famatina, La Rioja, Olta, San Blas de los Sauces, Tama, Ulapes and Villa Unión in the province of La Rioja.

The parishes contained in the collection are Catedral Inmaculada Concepción, San Antonio, Corazón de Jesús, San Pedro, Convento de La Merced, San Nicolás de Bari, Virgen de la Candelaria, San Blas and Nuestra Señora del Rosario.

General Information About Church Records

Church records are crucial for genealogical research, since civil authorities did not begin registering vital statistics until after 1886. After this date one should search in both church and civil records as there may be information in one that does not appear in the other. For instance the church records may only list the godparents whereas the civil records may list the grandparents.

Church records are the most important records for genealogical research in Argentina. The vast majority of Argentines were Catholic and were registered in the records of the local parish or diocese which are called registros parroquiales (parish registers). These records include entries for baptisms, marriage information, marriages, deaths, and burials. They can help you trace and link families. Often two and sometimes three generations are indicated in the records. In addition, church records may include church censuses, account books, confirmations, and other church-related records.

Some church records have been lost or have deteriorated due to natural effects, such as humidity and insects, and more dramatic events such as fire, floods and earthquakes. Civil and political strife have also caused the destruction of parish books. Some records were destroyed or damaged because of poor storage. However, many records considered lost are simply misplaced or misidentified.

In 1886 the civil government began keeping vital records (civil registration). If you are looking for ancestors who came before this time, then the Catholic Church parish registers are the best records available to identify these individuals, since church records were around for hundreds of years prior to civil registration. For civil vital records of births, deaths, and marriages after 1886, see Argentina Civil Registration (Registro Civil).

Additional records and/or images may be added to this collection in the future.

Reading These Records

These records are written in Spanish. For help reading them see:

• Spanish Genealogical Word List
• BYU Spanish Script Tutorial

FamilySearch Learning Center videos:

• Reading Spanish Handwriting

If you speak Spanish, the following free online lesson may be helpful to learn how to use the information in these records:

• Registros Civiles y Parroquiales – Spanish

To Browse This Collection

What Can These Records Tell Me?

The following information may be found in these records:

Collection Content

For additional details about these records and help using them see Argentina Catholic Church Records - FamilySearch Historical Records.

Sample Images

• 

  1923 Baptisms

• 

  1861 Confirmations

• 

  1923 Marriages

• 

  1887 Deaths

Coverage Table

This collection contains records from the following locations: