Sacrament Books - Everything you ever wanted to know... and more

As I've been working on the Sacrament Books I realized most people probably have no idea what goes in to keeping of the books - the old school paper copy way (required by Canon Law) and the new school on the computer way!

Here are the steps involved:

I used our ParishSoft program (a database of EVERYONE in our parish linked together in families, ministry involvement, PSR classes, etc) to generate a spread sheet that contained 90% of the information I need to record the Sacrament in the paper register. The other 10% goes IN the computer, but no one can get it out...lame! I've called and complained and no one has an answer for me. Anyway, so the other 10% I had a volunteer do for me on Friday.

Here's the information that gets recorded in the paper register for the Sacrament of Confirmation:

• First Middle Last name
• Chosen Saint Name
• Church of Baptism
• City of Baptism
• Date of Baptism
• Father's First Middle & Last name
• Mother's First Middle and Madien name
• Current street address, city and state (really don't now why)
• Confirmation Sponsor

All of this information is coded: Volume (which book #), Page, and Line. Once the Confirmand is recorded on a line, the name is then entered on the table of contents at the front of the book with the page and line number next to it.

After this is done, a list of items has to be added back to the ParishSoft program:

• Check the box stating the Candidate was Confirmed
• List the Celebrant
• List the Church
• Saint Name
• Book Volume, Page and Line numbers
  
• and add the Sponsor - and if the Sponsor is in ParishSoft, link the two accounts
  

Then a letter is mailed to the each Confirmand's church of Baptism with the following information:

• Date of Baptism
• Full Name
• Date of Confirmation
• Celebrant
• Church of Confirmation

The church of Baptism then has to record all this information in the BAPTISMAL register.

Now, thank GOD my church is only 10 years old because.....if I had kids who were also Baptized at my church, I'd have to record all the above information on their Baptismal register.

The Baptismal register holds a list of the date, church, sponsors, etc for all the other sacraments (not Confession or Anointing of the Sick), religious vows, and funeral. This way all the Sacrament Books are cross referenced. Unfortunately a lot of parishes don't keep up with them because it's a lot of work. However, in the end it pays to have it all done and done well because if a man or women is getting married or making a religious vow, they need record of all the Sacraments received. This is typically done in one short phone call to the Church of Baptism who looks up your name and can provide a nice list of all your Sacramental details. To get married all you really need is Baptism, but to receive Confirmation you need Bap & First Eucharist. To be ordained a priest or deacon, you need to have your three Sacraments of Initiation and in the case of a Latin Rite priest, proof that you've never been married!

The goal of having all this information on ParishSoft is so that one day all the Catholic Churches can be linked to this huge database and pretty much stalk each other... I mean look up Sacramental records without phone calls and paper copies. Unfortunately, there are major gaps in the system, and it's very expensive for smaller parishes. It will probably be decades before that dream is a reality, but I am doing my small part at my parish!

As you can see it's complicated - did I tell you they all have to be written in black ball point pen? or stored in a locked fire and waterproof vault/cabinet?


I have 174 kids from this last class - ugh.
I got 60 hand written today!

Wow. I just wrote all this? If you're still reading this, you should get a cookie.


Yep, and I'm still posting it!