Requesting sacramental records

Very frequently parishes receive requests for sacramental records, both to assist in the preparation of couples for marriage, candidates to the priesthood or diaconate for ordination, those seeking to enter religious live for acceptance into an Order and even - and perhaps especially - for genealogical research.

These requests typically - and most helpfully - come in the form of a letter, but sometimes come by way of the telephone.

I thought it might be helpful to offer a few tips when requesting sacramental records.

Please, please, if at all possible submit your request in writing, including the following:

• your name, address, telephone number and e-mail (if applicable)
• what sort of record you are requesting (Baptism, Confirmation, etc.) and the name of the person whose record you desire
• your relationship to this person
• the reason you are requesting this record
• a close approximate date the Sacrament may have been received (nobody wants to just flip randomly through pages and pages or records in search of one person
• the Parish in which the Sacrament was received (many parishes now care for the records of several parishes)

Naturally, the above would also apply when calling a parish on the telephone.