"The web pages are great!! I have used them repeatedly and with Armando's help and suggestions on several occasions found ancestors for clients in church records. It is a huge help to researchers." . . .2002

"I think it would be a significantly more daunting task to locate and understand these records without the church web pages hosted by NMGS."   . . . 2008

Loretta __ April 2002

"I just wanted to say that I found your web page on churches very helpful. I ordered the film that you listed at the LDS Family Center and I found 8 ancestors there. I found it easy to follow and I will use it again. Thank you."
Loretta, by e-mail.

"Gentlemen: I happened to rent a tape from our local (Virginia Beach, Virginia) LDS library. It was FHL 16859, Births, Marriages & Deaths 1726- 1829. The church is San Antonio de Padua in Pecos. I noticed it was not on your San Miguel County list. Thank you for all the help you have given me in the last 4 years. You are my primary resource for research, living so far away from New Mexico. Keep up the good work!!" [Ed.note: It has been added now, thanks to JoAnn.]

"I love your project -- thank you for putting it on the web! I found a couple of updates for you. Lea County: Jal (St. Cecilia parish) LDS Church has the following: 1951-1956 FHL #16786 Hobbs (St. Helena parish) LDS Church has the following: 1938-1956 FHL #16778 Eddy County: Artesia (St. Anthony parish) LDS Church has the following: 1914-1956 FHL #16618 Artesia (Our Lady of Grace), this parish is listed as being in Loving on your website, I don't know which is more correct you or the LDS Church. FHL #16617 Thank you again for your efforts with this project. This is a great resource for Hispanic family history. "

[Ed. note: The information about churches named Our Lady of Grace in both Loving and in Artesia (each with its own priest) was taken from "The Official Catholic Directory" of the year 2000. We've listed both until further research dictates otherwise.]

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"Dear New Mexico Genealogical Society: Marquette University is currently (2004-2006) undertaking a federally funded project to identify and describe Catholic records (originals, microfilm, and facsimiles) about Native Americans held in 14 Western states. Also to be described are records where the Catholic originals are in Mexico but copies exist in the Western U.S.

"We find your site very useful and complementary. We invite you to create a link to our project site, which also includes a companion guide to Native Americans held in 12 Midwestern states: http://www.marquette.edu/library/collections/archives/teaching.html. While our focus is not Hispanic records, definite overlap does exist. We would also like to link your site to ours.
Best wishes, Mark Thiel, Project Director and Archivist, Marquette University."

"I cannot thank you enough for adding the Southern Colorado counties to your Catholic Church Records. It has given me the opportunity to research my family as they moved North from New Mexico into Colorado in the early 1900's. As I live in Virginia it is physically impossible to visit out West every year to do research. Your Catholic Church Record listings have made my search for my New Mexico ancestors possible and now with the addition of Southern Colorado I am able to go to my local LDS library and order those tapes as well. I thoroughly enjoy your excellent magazine and will be a continuing subscriber to the NMGS. Again, Thank You."
JoAnn Bedeaux, Virginia Beach, VA. Researching: Muniz, Ulibarri, Guerrero, and Valdez.

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 Comment/Feedback by:

Francisco Sisneros, January 5, 2002

"The southernmost part of New Mexico has in the past been part of the Diocese of Dallas (indefinite time period), the Diocese of Tucson, the Diocese of El Paso, and, finally, the Archdiocese of Santa Fe. The Diocese of Tucson began as a vicariate in 1868 (full-fledged diocese in 1897) attached to the Diocese of Santa Fe. In turn, the Diocese of El Paso was created from the eastern portion of the Diocese of Tucson in 1914. At some point, (I did not research this), southern New Mexico reverted to the Archdiocese of Santa Fe. The main church in the Mesilla Valley for years was San Albino. Many of the records of San Albino have been extracted [see Doña Ana County]. Not all church records from the Diocese of Las Cruces have been microfilmed."

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 Comment/Feedback by:

Robert J. Torrez, Retired NM State Historian, October 2001

Thanks for the "heads up" on the NMGS "Locating Catholic Church Records" databank. The data bank reminds us that these church records are the obvious source of information for genealogists. However, their organization and structure have always created difficulties for the beginning researcher. This databank will go a long way towards helping the researcher answer that age-old question, "where do I go to find...?" Thanks. Robert J. Torrez