Policy
Baptisms, marriages, confirmations and funerals were recorded to document these sacred acts; these records were not intended to serve as a replacement for civil vital statistics. The care and preservation of these confidential records is a sacred trust. Sacramental records are of a mixed nature: private and public. They are private in that they are intended to document an individual's status within the Church. They were originally created in circumstances presumed to be private and confidential. Sacramental records are public in that they will stand in civil law as valid and authentic evidence when an appropriate civil record does not exist. It is important to understand that although these records are public in that they stand in civil law, they are not public in the sense that they are open to immediate examination and inspection by anyone for whatever reason. 

Requesting A Current Certificate
The archdiocesan archives houses all sacramental registers that end prior to 1930. Some early 20th-century registers that also include later entries still remain in individual church parishes. All current sacramental records (post 1930) are maintained in individual church parishes. If you are requesting current records (post 1930) from a parish not reopened after Katrina or a parish that has recently merged, please call the Archives before sending in the form. 

PLEASE NOTE: The person authorizing release of the sacramental records must be the person named in the record, the parent of a minor child, or the spouse or adult child if that person is deceased. Anyone else must show proof of power-of-attorney. Sacramental Records Request Form 

Requesting A Certificate for Genealogy
For more information about requesting a sacramental record for genealogical purposes, click here.