{"id":51761,"date":"2019-07-26T10:01:33","date_gmt":"2019-07-26T14:01:33","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/blog.genealogybank.com\/?p=51761"},"modified":"2023-09-22T11:05:18","modified_gmt":"2023-09-22T15:05:18","slug":"genealogy-101-a-brief-introduction-to-catholic-church-records-for-genealogy","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.genealogybank.com\/blog\/genealogy-101-a-brief-introduction-to-catholic-church-records-for-genealogy.html","title":{"rendered":"Genealogy 101: A Brief Introduction to Catholic Church Records for Genealogy"},"content":{"rendered":"

Introduction<\/em><\/strong>: In this article \u2013 part of an ongoing \u201cIntroduction to Genealogy\u201d series \u2013 Gena Philibert-Ortega writes about what Catholic Church records might exist, and where you may find them. Gena is a genealogist and author of the book \u201cFrom the Family Kitchen.\u201d<\/em><\/p>\n

Do you have Catholic ancestors? If you do, you\u2019re in luck because the Catholic Church has been keeping records of its members since the late 16th century. Those Church records help to link children to parents, which is exactly what genealogists seek to do as they research their family lines.<\/p>\n

\"Photo:<\/a>
Photo: fa\u00e7ade of St. Peter\u2019s Basilica in Vatican City, Italy. Credit: Jean-Pol Grandmont; Wikimedia Commons.<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n

Before you go looking for records for your family, let\u2019s start with a short history and then move on to what records might exist, and where you may find them.<\/p>\n

The Council of Trent<\/strong><\/p>\n

In response to the Reformation, The Council of Trent was held in Trento, Italy, from 1547 to 1563. This gathering denounced Protestantism, defined doctrine, reaffirmed practices, and issued statements about practices. It also decreed that parish priests keep records on individual members, and that copies of those records be sent to the bishop \u2013 which means that not only were records kept but duplicate copies were made. Complete compliance with record-keeping took a few decades, but you may find certain types of records dating back to the late 1500s.<\/p>\n

Types of Records<\/strong><\/p>\n

What Catholic Church records might you expect to find for your ancestor? Extant records may differ depending on place and location, but a few examples include:<\/p>\n