Macau SAR Church Records

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

Online Resources and Websites
'''Ancestry.com, findmypast.com, and MyHeritage.com can be searched free of charge at your local family history center or the Family History Library in Salt Lake City, Utah.
 * India. Office of the Registrar General, Macao baptisms, marriages and burials, 1820-1833 ; Whampoa burials, 1820-1824, images, partial index.
 * Church of England in Macao. Anglican Chaplaincy, Parish registers, 1820-1838, images and index.
 * Igreja Católica. São Lourenço (Macau, Macau) Registros paroquiais (parish registers), 1741-1976, images, no index.
 * Igreja Católica. Sé (Macau, Macau) Registros paroquiais (parish registers), 1775-1982, images. Parish registers of baptisms, marriages, and deaths
 * Igreja Católica. Santo António (Macau, Macau) Registros paroquiais (parish registers), 1821-1976
 * Igreja Católica. São Lázaro (Macau, Macau) Registros paroquiais (parish registers), 1854-1976, images.
 * Parish register printouts of Macau, 1820-1838, index.

Historical Background
Catholicism is a lasting legacy of the Portuguese colonial control of Macau.

The Catholic Church in Macau is organized through the Diocese of Macau, which follows the Roman (or Latin) Rite. This Catholic diocese was established on 23 January 1576 by Pope Gregory XIII, and is currently limited in extent to the territory of the Special Administrative Region of the People's Republic of China.

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:

Marriages
Marriage registers can give:

Burials
Burial registers may give:

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 Family History Center near you, and/or by members of supporting organizations. To find records:
 * a. Click on the records of Macau.
 * b. Click on the "Church records" topic. Click on the blue links to specific record titles.
 * c. Some combination of these icons will appear at the far right of the listing for the record. FHL icons.png. 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
Portuguese and Chinese are official languages. Reportedly very few speak Portuguese. You will probably need to write to or email local priests to find records. Try writing in Portuguese using the Portuguese Letter-writing Guide for help with composing letters.

Writing to a Local Parish

 * Google Maps search results for Catholic churches in Macau

Historical Background
Catholicism is a lasting legacy of the Portuguese colonial control of Macau. The Catholic Church in Macau is organized through the Diocese of Macau, which follows the Roman (or Latin) Rite. This Catholic diocese was established on 23 January 1576 by Pope Gregory XIII, and is currently limited in extent to the territory of the Special Administrative Region of the People's Republic of China. Macau became a diocese of the Catholic Church in the sixteenth century, after the arrival of the Portuguese.

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
Leaders visited Macau in April 1964. A short time later, in July, the first two missionaries arrived, and the missionaries started holding worship meetings. Church meetings were suspended in December 1964 because the Church lacked a license from the Portuguese government to conduct religious activities. Legal recognition had still not been granted in September 1965, at which time the missionaries were banned from proselyting. Four full-time missionaries returned to Macau in September 1976 after a constitutional amendment had been passed allowing religions to hold meetings, teach, and preach. The Macau Branch (a small congregation) was organized in January 1977. The Macau Branch was divided in May 1998. Cantonese-speaking members attended the 1st Branch and English speakers attended the 2nd Branch. The Macau 3rd Branch was organized in March 2001 to serve the needs of the Mandarin speakers. Macau reverted from Portuguese to Chinese control in December 1999 but continued to enjoy religious freedom. Total Church Membership: 1,455.

Writing for Records

 * Google Maps search results for Anglican churches in Macau

Writing for Records

 * Google Maps search results for Baptist churches in Macau

Writing for Records

 * Google Maps search results for Lutheran churches in Macau