Paraguay, Catholic Church Records - FamilySearch Historical Records

Paraguay

What is in This Collection?
This collection contains Catholic Church parish records for the years 1754-2015, which includes baptisms, marriages, deaths, and miscellaneous parish records covering localities for the country of Paraguay. The text of the records is handwritten, mostly in narrative form. In later years, the text was handwritten in formatted records.

Church registers are created by the priest in charge of the parish where the ordinance was performed. The original records are kept in a register in the local parish archive and a duplicate copy is usually sent to the corresponding diocese or archdiocese for archival preservation.

The priests were authorized and requested to create the registers in order to keep a record of all the sacramental ordinances, such as baptisms, marriages, and deaths, in the life of his parishioners. Before the civil registration was implemented in 1880, civil authorities used the church records as a civil documentation.

Catholic Church parish registers of birth, death, and marriage are the primary source and most reliable records for genealogical research in Paraguay. After 1880, it is recommended to also use the civil records.

Reading These Records
These records are written in Spanish. For help reading these records see the following guides:
 * 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

What Can These Records Tell Me?
These records often include the following information:

Baptismal Records
 * Name and gender of child
 * Date and place of the baptism
 * Child’s birth date
 * Parents’ names
 * Name of godparents
 * Names of witnesses

Marriage Records
 * Names of bride and groom
 * Place of residence
 * Date and place of marriage
 * Bride and groom’s age, civil status, residence and origin
 * Bride and groom's parent's names
 * Names of officiant at marriage

Death Records
 * Name of the deceased person
 * Date and place of death
 * Age, civil status and residence of deceased
 * Sometimes, the name of the spouse, if married
 * Sometimes, names of parents
 * Date and place of burial

How Do I Search This Collection?
You can search the index or view the images or both. Before using this collection it is helpful to know:
 * Your ancestor's given name and surname
 * Identifying information such as residence
 * Estimated marriage or birth year

Search the Index
Search by name by visiting the Collection Page.
 * 1) Fill in the search boxes on the Collection Page with the information you have.
 * 2) Click Search to show possible matches.

View the Images
View images in this collection by visiting the Browse Page.
 * 1) Select Department
 * 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.

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

 * Add any new information to your records
 * Check the image the index was taken from to see if there is additional information
 * Make sure to fully transcribe and cite the record entry for future reference; see the section Citing This Collection for assistance. Save or print a copy of the image
 * 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
 * Compile the marriage entries for every person who has the same surname as the bride or groom; this is especially helpful in rural areas or if the surname is unusual
 * Use the parents' birth places to find former residences and to establish a migration pattern for the family
 * Use the marriage number to identify previous marriages

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

 * Remember that there may be more than one person in the records with the same name as your ancestor and that your ancestor may have used nicknames or different names at different times. Click here for a list of Spanish name abbreviations
 * A boundary change could have occurred and the record of your ancestor is now in a neighboring area. Search the records and indexes of neighboring cities, provinces, and regions
 * Your ancestor may have immigrated to another country. Search the records of nearby countries or immigration/emigration records
 * If you are unable to read a document or you’re not sure where to go next in your research, you can ask for help through these resources:
 * Hispanic Genealogy Research community on Facebook is a page sponsored by FamilySearch and here you may also post a question or upload an image of a document for further assistance. The Hispanic Genealogy Research page is designed especially for those who have Hispanic ancestry but may not be fluent in Spanish. Be sure to click like on the page on your first visit so you can receive information and updates from the page in your news feed
 * New information is constantly being indexed, microfilmed or updated. Periodically check back and see if your ancestor’s records have been added.  You can see if the area you’ve been looking in has been recently updated by going to Historical Records Collections and notice the asterisk for recently added or updated records

Research Helps
The following articles will help you in your research for your family in Peru.
 * Record Finder
 * Research Tips and Strategies

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.