Earliest Registers of First Catholic Church in St. Louis

 

The Catholics established the first church in St. Louis and it was the center of religious activity for the small village. Today that church is the Basilica of St. Louis, King of France, commonly known as the Old Cathedral, and sits near the Mississippi River in the shadow of the Gateway Arch.

Young families brought their infants to the church for baptism. These important records record the family unit, the date of baptism or birth, their life in St. Louis, and often the mother’s maiden name.

The birth date is listed in most cases; otherwise, the baptismal is provided. The letter (c) indicates the record was recorded at the Catholic Church in Carondelet.

The St. Louis Archdiocese records are available on microfilm at St. Louis County Library Special Collections department or at the Family History Library. To locate a record, it is necessary to know the name of the church and the approximate date of the event.

This record first appeared as a series starting in the 1970 St. Louis Genealogical Society Quarterly, volume 3, number 1, pages 6–8.

Please select from the following Surname pages:

A–B    C    D–F    G–H    I–O    P–S    T–Z