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Church records are
great research tool In the early 1800s, while Texas was part of the Mexican Republic, all
settlers were required to swear allegiance to the Catholic Church.
Therefore, this collection of early Catholic Church records is valuable
to researchers because they may be the only records available in this
time frame that list ancestors' names.
The Catholic Archives of Texas is nationally recognized as one of the
most valuable resources for the history of the Catholic Church in the
Southwest. Founded by the Texas Knights of Columbus in 1923, its records
span nearly four centuries of development of the Catholic religion in
southwestern region of the United States and Northern Mexico.
The earliest Catholic churches in what is now the state of Texas
were: San Fernando (in modern San Antonio), established 1139 [1739??]; San
Elizario (El Paso), established 1777; San Augustin (Laredo), established
1789; St. Mary's (Victoria), established 1840; Sacred Heart
(Nacogdoches), established 1847; and smaller missions sponsored by these
churches. In 1847, the Diocese of Galveston was founded and new parishes
were established.
Of these older churches, the Catholic Archives has on microfilm or
microfiche the records of San Augustin in Laredo and St. Mary's in
Victoria (excepting burial records for St. Mary's). They also have the
sacramental records of the Immaculate Conception Cathedral in
Brownsville from about 1850 forward. The Brownsville Cathedral held the
records of sacraments performed throughout much of the South Texas/Rio
Grande region at that time. Genealogical queries by mail must list at
least the approximate location of the person whose record is being
sought, and the approximate date of the sacrament. The more specific the
information provided, the better the Archives staff can process the
request. There is no central index of names or dates. Each inquiry
requires a search of individual parish records.
Since the Archives staff is small, there is a charge of $5 for each
record that is researched by the Archives staff. Researchers are also
welcome to schedule an appointment to do research in person and the
staff will assist. In this case, the only charge is for photocopies
($2.50 per sacramental record; 20 cents each photocopy). Archival
records prior to 1920 are available for this purpose.
The staff advises that researchers call ahead for an appointment and
plan their visit Monday through Friday between 9 a.m. and 5 p.m. There
is no fee for research done by an individual, except for photocopies of
records. A list of professional genealogy researchers is provided upon
request.
In addition to Church records, the archives also houses the following
collections:
Located on the corner of 16th and Congress in Austin, the
Catholic Archives is only a short distance east of the Capitol.
Again, the hours are Monday-Friday, 9 a.m. to 5 p.m., by
appointment. To contact the archivist, call 512-476-6296. Their Web
site is www.onr.com/user/cat/
Or e-mail them at cat@onr.com. The mailing address is P.O. Box
13124, Capitol Station, Austin, Texas, 78711.
There are two publications available from the Catholic Archives.
They are the "Guide to the Spanish and Mexican Manuscript
Collection at the Catholic Archives of Texas," compiled by
McDonald and Perzynska, which costs $15 (postage included) and the
"Guide to the Records of the Texas Catholic Conference"
compiled by Schlankey, which costs $10 (postage included). Contact
the Catholic Archives for ordering information.
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Catholic church records provide a wealth of information for genealogists
and family researchers. Some of these resources include baptism,
marriage, confirmation, First Communion and death records. They are
referred to as Parish and Clergy Collections.
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