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We are hoping to know about Baptisms and the Italian immigrants in NYC. After a child was born, how long after did the baby get baptized?
If we have searched /contacted all the local parishes where the child was born with no results or baptismal records found, does this mean that possibly the child was never baptized?
How common was this for the Italian immigrants not to baptize their children?
There are rumors that the family may've been "marranos", so we are trying to locate a baptismal record which would verify the children were Christened, but no record is found.
We do know that one of the eldest boys married a young woman of the Jewish faith circa 1910 Harlem. This was quite surprising considering these were newly arrived Italian immigrants who settled in Harlem.
In my family the children were baptized within 2 months of their birth. Most of us have continued with this practice. I have the baptismal records (1901-1920) for my relatives which were handed down to me. For the first child, the godparents chosen is based on who the parents chose as their best man and maid of honor. You should be able to obtain a copy if you know the church where the baptism took place.
In my Italian family we HAD to baptize a baby within a month of its birth. I notice from looking at original Italian records many of the babies were baptized the day of their birth, or one day later.
You bring up the possibility of the mother being Jewish. I don't know for sure, but I do believe that in the Jewish faith, the children follow their mother's religion. In that case they might have a Naming Day and celebration.
Jean Galata
Italians have not invented coffee, yet the passion they have for it makes the rest of world believe they discovered it. Around the end of the sixteen century, it was Venice where coffee was first introduced. Thanks to its trade relationship with the Eastern countries. Initially, coffee was considere...