The Espiritu Santo Church in the oldest standing Catholic Church in Cuba. It dates to 1638 and was originally a hermitage dedicated to free people of African descent. It is located within the old city walls, in the area of Havana known as "Old Havana.".
Sacramental books are divided by race between Spaniards and everyone else. The second designation pertains to Pardos y Morenos (blacks and browns). Sacramental Books contain information on Baptisms, Marriages, Deaths and Burials, Confirmations and other information on individuals who were parishioners or otherwise associated with the Catholic Church of Espiritu Santo.
These books have been in the Church of Espiritu Santo since their creation. They fall under the jurisdiction of the Archibihopric of Havana. Volumes are arranged by type and by date, but this system is a recent imposition by the church archivist and has changed in the last few years. The documents in these volumes were generally written by scribes or priests to record official sacraments of the Catholic Church.
