Sacramental Registers

Part 1  – Sacramental Registers – Provisions of Canon Law

0:00  Provisions of the Canon Law – each parish to keep sacramental registers

1:10  Notes at the baptism register: change of canonical status—ascription or transfer to a Church sui iuris, reception of sacred orders, confirmation, marriage, also adoption.        

2:37  Parish seal

3:45  Parish archives/storage area

4:00  Sacramental registers are restricted

4:40  Pastor’s duty to review registers

Part 2 – Recording Baptism

0:00  Baptismal registers – requirements, names, godparents, place, civil documents

2:34  Baptism is registered at the territorial parish – birth at home or hospital

3:56  Father’s name – question of paternity

Part 3 – Registers of Reception to the Church by the Profession of Faith

0:00  Reception to the Church by profession of Faith – separate registers

Part 4 – Adoption: registration and issuing a baptismal certificate

0:00  Visit UCCB website: Canon 877, §3 – Recording the Baptism of Adopted Children

0:10  Baptism before adoption

1:50  Baptism after adoption

2:23  Baptismal certificate of an adopted child

2:23 Children adopted after baptism – new name, new parents

3:20  Baptismal record of a child adopted after the baptism

Part 5 – Notifying Parish of Baptism about Significant Canonical Events

0:00 Notification of the parish of baptism about significant canonical events: Confirmation etc.

Part 6 – First Holy Communion

0:00  First holy communion – form of registration and certification

Part 7 – Confirmation

0:00  Confirmation – registration

Part 8 – Marriage

0:00  Marriage – registration: elements required

Part 9 – Practical Matters relating to creating sacramental records

0:00  Technical matters of creating a record: writings, corrections, ink, etc.

5:47  Do not record marriage in advance until the sacrament has happened

7:19  Maiden name of women

7:44  Closed parishes – location of sacramental registers

Part 10 – Issuing Sacramental Certificates

0:00  Sacramental certificates – general information, difference between certificate and record, rules of issuing, forms, checking the identity of a requester

6:43 Name and location of the parish should be written on the sacramental register

Q&As

0:00 Questions
00:35  Recording sacraments of those who were received in full communion in other individual registers: baptism, first communion, confirmation
02:34  Child asking for sacramental marriage certificate of living parents vs. deceased parent (genealogy); fiancée asking for her fiancé’s birth certificate
07:48  Deceased parent – genealogical request
08:21  OCIA notation in baptismal record only or in each individual book?
09:24  Requests for someone else’s certificate, the person still alive?
11:04  Returning information to the parish informing about sacrament
12:36  New registers for received in full communion
15:22  Who should sign a certificate in absences of the pastor
16:53  Certificates issued for using abroad hardcopy and scanned copy
18:57  Is changing baptismal record based on driver’s license permittable?
21:27  No safe at the parish office, what to do?
24:32  What if the church of baptism is in another country and we can’t find the parish address to send a note?
29:10  Could we send a notification via email only?
30:27  Registers for receptions to full communion can be purchased at Holy Cross Cemetery in Colma
31:00 People asking for a certificate and notary public involvement, is a parish obligated to do it?
37:12  Changing the name of name in baptismal record of someone deceased long time ago?
44:23  Families assigning two godmothers?
45:27  Notifications about first communion, confirmation, marriage: should the name of priest or bishop be included?
47:14  John Paul II baptismal record
52:01 The end