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The New Mexico Genealogical Society, founded in 1960, is composed entirely of volunteers. 2010 will be our 50th year of providing research materials and networking opportunities for family historians.

Locating Catholic Church Records along the NM/Colorado border, Durango Diocese There are more helpful notes at bottom of this page. Alamosa County Colorado Parish Location Missions Microfilm Sacred Heart 726 Third St., 81101 (719) 589-3211 Alamosa   Bapt./Marr./Death 1911-1957 FHL 0002689 Alamosa County was formed from the northern portions of Conejos and Costilla counties. Alamosa is a Spanish word meaning "cottonwood grove." Mailing address: County Clerk and Recorder, P. O. Box 630, Alamosa, CO 81101-0630. Phone (719) 589-6681. Archuleta County Colorado Churches Parish Location Missions Microfilm Immaculate Heart of Mary (970) 264-5702 Pagosa Springs   Bapt./Marr./Death 1951-1957 FHL 0002765 San Eduardo 1885 Pagosa Springs San Juan Bautista (Pagosa Junction, CO 1909); San Pedro and Santa Ana (Arboles, CO 1932 [see *note below]); San Francisco de Asis (Francis, CO 1917); San Andres Avelino (Juanita, CO 1907); San Luis Rey (Lone Tree, CO1914); San Santiago Apostle (Trujillo, CO 1908).   Archuleta County was created in 1885 when Conejos County was divided. It was named in honor of Antonio D. Archuleta, the senator from Conejos County at that time. Mailing address: County Clerk and Recorder, Archuleta County, P.O. Box 2589, Pagosa Springs, CO 81147-2589. Phone (303) 264-5633. County Clerk (719) 264-5633. * Information received from Mercie Marquez Ulibarri [mamabarri@obii.net]: “The church in Arboles, Archuleta County, is San Pedro, Santa Rosa. It was given both names because there were two churches in that area. One in Arboles and one in Rosa. When the families of Rosa were displaced due to the Navajo Dam Project they worshiped at San Pedro (an old schoolhouse). The new church was built in Arboles in 1978 and given both names. ” Baca County Colorado Churches Parish Location Missions Microfilm Annunciation (719) 523-6645 Springfield   Bapt./Marr./Death 1947-1957 FHL 0002773 Baca County was established 1889, named for the Baca family of Trinidad. A member of this family had been the first settler on Two Buttes Creek. The county seat is Springfield. Mailing address: County Clerk and Recorder, 741 Main St., Springfield, CO 81073-1548. Telephone (719) 523-4372.   Bent County Colorado Churches   Parish Location Missions Microfilm St. Mary (719) 456-0357 Las Animas   Bapt./Marr./Death 1910-1957 FHL 0002730 Bent County, established in 1870, takes its name from Bent's Fort which was located on the north bank of the Arkansas River, near present day La Junta, and from the Bent brothers who founded the fort in 1828-1832. The county seat is Las Animas. Mailing address: County Clerk and Recorder, P.O. Box 350, Las Animas, CO 81054-0350. Telephone: (719) 456-2009.   Conejos County Colorado Churches Parish Location Missions Microfilm St. Augustine (original name was Our Lady of Guadalupe) 1880 (see also note below re 1860 census.) Antonito   Bapt. 1860-1914 FHL 0002691 Bapt. 1914-1924 FHL 0002692 Bapt. 1927-1954 FHL 0002693 Marr. 1860-1951 FHL 0002695 Burials 1860-1957 FHL 0002695 Our Lady of Guadalupe 1858 10 Jun Conejos   Bapt. Registry 1861-1868 (Book, no film) St. Joseph (719) 274-5304 Capulin   Bapt./Marr./Death 1939-1957 FHL 0002701 Conejos County was created in 1861 as an original county under the name of Guadalupe. The name was changed to Conejos in 1869, taking its name from the Spanish word for rabbit. The early Spaniards of New Mexico gave that name to the river which flowed through the area. The county seat is in Conejos. Mailing address: County Clerk and Recorder, P.O. Box 127, Conejos, CO 81129-0127. Telephone: (719) 376-5422. Notes from Patricia Sanchez Rau [leadville5@earthlink.net]: Our Lady of Guadalupe church, founded in 1856 in Conejos, is the oldest church in Colorado. The first settlers into the area were from New Mexico, primarily from Abiquiu, San Juan de los Caballeros, and Santa Cruz. “As more and more people arrived, mission churches were set up and all had the records housed with Our Lady of Guadalupe. When the town of Antonito was built, the Theatine Priests from Spain came into the area and built St. Augustine church in 1880.” “Even the church records from Our Lady of Guadalupe are now housed at the church offices of Saint Agustine in Antonito. ” Conejos is only about a mile north of Antonito. “The Presbyterians came into Conejos County in 1880, establishing churches in Antonito, Alamosa, Cenicero, Del Norte, Mogote, San Rafael, and Monte Vista. They also established schools in the area and had a large number of Hispanic converts.” [Patricia Sanchez Rau] Per Olibama Lopez-Tushar, a jakal went up in 1854 in Guadalupe (Conejos?), which was the beginning of Our Lady of Guadalupe parish. The People of El Valle, Pueblo, CO: El Escritorio Publishing Company, 1997, p. 56. Note from Julie Candelaria, January 2005: "I found that the 1860 census had many families of Conejos in Taos County, New Mexico Territory. So exciting to find this, like striking a gold mine in genealogy!" Costilla County Colorado Churches Parish Location Missions Microfilm Most Precious Blood Sangre de Cristo 1859 (719) 672-3685 San Luis   Bapt. 1881-1957 FHL 0002774 Marr. 1884-1957 FHL 0002775 Deaths 1921-1957 FHL 0002775 Costilla County was established in 1861 and was named for the Costilla River. Costilla is the Spanish word for "rib" and furring timber" and the river had been named by the Spaniards prior to 1800. The county seat is in San Luis. Mailing address: County Clerk and Recorder, P.O. Box 308, San Luis, CO 81152-0308. Telephone: (719) 672-3301. "This church served the communities of Las Plaza de los Manzanares, Los Fuertes, San Pedro, San Acasio, Culebra and Garcias. San Luis was settled primarily by people from Taos." [Patricia Sanchez Rau]   Huerfano County Colorado Churches Parish Location Missions Microfilm St. Mary (formerly Our Lady of Sorrows) (719) 738-1204 Walsenburg   Bapt. Bapt. Bapt. Bapt. Bapt. 1870-1901 1901-1920 1920-1940 1940-1957 1874-1876 FHL 0002791 FHL 0002792 FHL 0002793 FHL 0002794 FHL 0002795 Marr. 1871-1957 FHL 0002795 Deaths 1910-1957 FHL 0002796 Sacred Heart Gardner   Mixed records 1912-1957: FHL 0002722 Baptisms, marriages, deaths. Some indexes. Huerfano County was established in 1861, and named for the Huerfano River which flows through the area. Huerfano is the Spanish word for "orphan," the name given to Huerfano Butte, which is an isolated, cone-shaped butte located in the river bottom area. The county seat is in Walsenburg. Mailing address: County Clerk and Recorder, 401 Main St., Suite 204, Walsenburg, CO 81089. Telephone (719) 738-2380. Other southern Colorado counties along the New Mexico border: La Plata Las Animas Montezuma Otero Rio Grande San Juan

Film Codes: FHL: Catholic church records filmed by the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints (LDS).  (For locations of the research facilities, see Records.) Diocese: With the exception of Montezuma, these counties are in the Catholic Diocese of Pueblo. Pueblo Diocese records prior to 1942 are kept in the individual parishes. Addresses and current information about each church can be found through a search at http://www.parishesonline.net If a microfilm number is shown on the list, you may be able to view the record at one of several facilities. See Records for the sources and addresses known to date. Books: Most Catholic church records are available on microfilm, and volunteers have extracted, translated, and published many of those records with indexes. Click on the links below to see which other books are already available from these societies: National Society of Hispanic Genealogy and Genealogical Society of Hispanic America New Mexico Genealogical Society  (NMGS) (www.nmgs.org/books.htm) Hispanic Genealogical Research Center  (HGRC-NM) (www.hgrc-nm.org/saleitms/pubs&oth.htm) New Mexico Genealogist: Since its first issue in 1962, the Genealogist has been publishing a continuous stream of county records as well as other informative articles. Genealogist subscribers are provided an index at the end of each year of articles and surnames which appeared in the quarterly journal during that year. Selected articles are published on this web site. For a current list, see Genealogist online. The New Mexico Genealogist: The First Forty Years on one CD. Every issue 1962 through 2001. Includes a name and subject index. See www.nmgs.org/NMG-CD.htm. Assistance: Due to the volume of incoming mail, this webmaster is not able to answer online research questions. Instead, please try our extensive link section. Two other volunteer groups are New Mexico GenWeb and New Mexico Ancestors. Both are linked to larger networks of sites covering the entire state of New Mexico. Introduction Maps:    NM    So.CO Records and Sources Cities and Towns This is a joint effort for helping genealogists and family historians. To the best of our knowledge, the information presented here is accurate and up to date. If you have corrections or additions to contribute, please add the words "Catholic Church Project" in the subject line, include your source reference, and email to: info@nmgs.org.  Locating Catholic Church Records in New Mexico is a work-in-progress and the pages will be updated as additional information is received. Return to top of page