Mexico, Zacatecas, Catholic Church Records - FamilySearch Historical Records

Mexico

Zacatecas

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Mexico, Zacatecas, Catholic Church Records, 1605-1980 CID1804458 {{{CID2}}} {{{CID3}}} {{{CID4}}} {{{CID5}}} {{{CID6}}} {{{CID7}}} {{{CID8}}} {{{CID9}}}
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Zacatecas, Mexico
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Flag of Zacatecas
Location of Zacatecas, Mexico
Record Description
Record Type:	Church
Collection years:	1605-1980
Languages:	Spanish
Title in the Language:	Registros Paroquiales de la Iglesia Católica del Estado de Zacatecas, México
FamilySearch Resources
Record Finder
Research Tips and Strategies
Mexico Genealogy
Zacatecas, Mexico Genealogy
Mexico Church Records
Mexico Catholic Church Records - FamilySearch Historical Records
Related Websites
Zacatecas Maps
Zacatecas History
Archive
Catholic Church Parishes, Zacatecas

What is in This Collection?

This collection of Catholic Church records for the State of Zacatecas includes the years 1605 to 1980.

Image Visibility

Whenever possible FamilySearch makes images and indexes available for all users. However, rights to view these data are limited by contract and subject to change. Because of this there may be limitations on where and how images and indexes are available or who can see them. Please be aware some collections consist only of partial information indexed from the records and do not contain any images.

For additional information about image restrictions see Restrictions for Viewing Images in FamilySearch Historical Record Collections.

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 Handwritten Records, Lesson 1
  • Reading Spanish Handwritten Records, Lesson 2

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

You can browse through images in this collection using the waypoints on the Collection Browse Page for Mexico, Zacatecas, Catholic Church Records, 1605-1980.

What Can These Records Tell Me?

The following information may be found in these records:

Baptism or confirmation

• Date and place of baptism or confirmation
• Name and gender of child
• Names of the parents
• Age of the person being baptized or the person’s birth date
• Legitimacy
• Before 1820, social class of the parents
• Sometimes the person’s race

Marriage records

• Date and of marriage
• Names of the betrothed
• Names of the parents
• Names of the witnesses
• Ages and marital statuses of the betrothed
• Places of origin and residence of the betrothed and sometimes that of the parents
• Legitimacy of the betrothed
• Sometimes the race of the betrothed

Death or burial

• Date and place of death or burial
• Name of the deceased
• Sometimes the names of the parents or the spouse, if the deceased was married
• Age of the deceased person at time of death
• Place of residence or origin of the deceased person
• Sometimes the race of the deceased

Collection Content

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

Sample Images

• 

  1958 Baptism Record

• 

  Confirmation Record

• 

  1937 Marriage Information

• 

  1955 Marriage Record

• 

  1948 Death Record

How Do I Search This Collection?

Before searching this collection, it is helpful to know:

• Your ancestor's given name and surname
• Identifying information such as residence
• Estimated marriage or birth year
• Family relationships

Search the Index

Search by name on the Collection Details Page.

1. Fill in the search boxes in the Search Collection section with the information you know
2. Click Search to show possible matches

View the Images

View images in this collection by visiting the Browse Page

1. Select City or Town
2. Select Parish
3. Select Record Type and Years to view the images.

How Do I Analyze the Results?

Compare each result from your search with what you know to determine if there is a match. This may require viewing multiple records or images. Keep track of your research in a research log.

What Do I Do Next?

I Found the Person I Was Looking For, What Now?

• Add any new information to your records
• Use the information to find more. For instance, use the age listed in the record to estimate a year of birth, if that is yet undetermined
• Use the birth date or age along with the place of birth to find the family in 1930, Mexico National Census
• Compile information for every person who has the same surname as your ancestor; this is especially helpful in rural areas or if the surname is unusual
• Continue to search the records to identify children, siblings, parents, and other relatives in the same county or nearby. This can help you identify other generations of your family or even the second marriage of a parent

I Can’t Find the Person I’m Looking For, What Now?

• Zacatecas Civil Registration are also a good substitute when church records of births, marriages, and deaths cannot be found or are unavailable
• A useful Coverage Table for Mexico Baptisms is available in the wiki article Mexico Baptisms, Coverage Table - FamilySearch Historical Records
• Check for variants of given names, surnames, and place names. Transcription errors could occur in any handwritten record; also, it was not uncommon for an individual be listed under a nickname or an abbreviation of their name
• A boundary change could have occurred, and the record of you ancestor is now in a neighboring province. Search the records and indexes of neighboring cities, provinces, and regions
• Also, consider looking at collections for surrounding localities. Durango (Disambiguation) is to the west, Coahuila, Mexico Genealogy to the north, San Luis Potosí, Mexico Genealogy to the east, and Jalisco, Mexico Genealogy and Aguascalientes, Mexico Genealogy on the south. Zacatecas also shares about a six mile border with Nayarit, Mexico Genealogy to the southwest, and about a seven mile border with Nuevo León, Mexico Genealogy to the northeast

Research Helps

The following articles will help you in your research for your family in Mexico.

• Record Finder
• Research Tips and Strategies

Known Issues

Click here for a list of known issues with this collection.

Citing This Collection

Citations help you keep track of places you have searched and sources you have found. Identifying your sources helps others find the records you used.

Collection Citation: The citation for this collection can be found on the Collection Details Page in the section Citing this Collection.

Record Citation: When looking at a record, the citation can be viewed by clicking the drop-down arrow next to Document Information.

Image Citation: When looking at an image, the citation is found on the Information tab at the bottom left of the screen.