Finding Sacramental Records
All baptismal records for the Archdiocese of Los Angeles are kept at the parish of baptism (assuming the parish is still in existence).
Updated Friday, 11 April 2008
Are you looking for sacramental records? A recent certificate of baptism
or other sacraments is usually required to receive other sacraments.
Especially for those preparing for marriage, there is a need to find
sacramental records.
All baptismal records for the Archdiocese of Los Angeles are kept at the parish of baptism (assuming the parish is still in existence).
Indeed, all sacramental records are kept at the parish where that particular sacrament was celebrated. (If a parish is no longer in existence, the parish that took over that geographical territory usually gets the closed parish's records. For historical records, I would refer you to our Archival Center.)
Obtaining Records from a Parish
If you know the name of the parish, please contact that parish directly. If you have a general idea of which parish it may be, or know the geographic area, please check our parish directory.
When you contact a parish to request a baptismal certificate, please be prepared to provide the following information:
- Your name at birth
- Date of birth
- Date of baptism (if known)
- Mother's name (including maiden name)
- Father's name
Tips for Finding Records
1. Assuming you are looking for your baptismal certificate, did you ever receive First Communion, Confirmation, or Matrimony in the Catholic Church? Parishes celebrating these other sacraments are supposed to send that information (a notation only, not the certificate) back to the parish of baptism, so if you contact the parishes of these other sacraments that may point you back to the parish of baptism. Please note that the parish of baptism cannot give you your certificate for First Communion, Confirmation, etc.; it would just have a notation that you received that sacrament (elsewhere). Sacramental certificates are only available from the parish where you celebrated that sacrament.
For birth or marriage records, you can also contact the County's Hall of Records. For Los Angeles, it is:
Los Angeles County Hall of Records
12400 E. Imperial Highway
Norwalk, CA 90242
(562) 462-2137
2. Where were your sisters and brothers baptized? Sometimes siblings were baptized together, or at least at the same parish.
3. What address did you live at when you were baptized? We can check the map book and see in what parish that address geographically belongs.
4. Do you know the priest's or deacon's name who baptized you? If so, we can check the clergy records and see where he was stationed at the time.
5. Is there any remembrance of the parish (examples: it was named after Mary; it was in Hollywood; it was run by the Claretians)?
6. Was it in the City of Los Angeles or one of its suburbs? The City of Los Angeles has 101 parishes, while each suburb usually has only three or four.
7. Was it near downtown Los Angeles? Our Lady Queen of Angels Parish (also known as La Placita Olvera or the Plaza Church) is on Olvera Street, and baptizes thousands of children each month. It is also the oldest parish in the City of Los Angeles. When people call and say they were baptized in downtown Los Angeles, it's most likely this parish. Please contact:
Ms. Maria Bohorquez
Our Lady Queen of Angels Parish
535 N. Main St.
Los Angeles, CA 90012-2870
phone: (213) 629-3101
fax: (213) 629-1951
e-mail: placita@pacbell.net
parish web site: www.laplacita.org
Information on La Placita baptismal certificates: See the link to your right at the top of the page.
Records from the Cathedral of St. Vibiana
Many people were also baptized at the Cathedral of St. Vibiana in downtown Los Angeles. The Cathedral closed due to earthquake damage, and the records were moved to the new Cathedral of Our Lady of the Angels. You may request baptismal records for St. Vibiana's by contacting:
Ms. Margaret Chirivella
Cathedral of Our Lady of the Angels
555 W. Temple St.
Los Angeles, CA 90012
(213) 680-5215
mchirivella@olacathedral.org
Records from Military Bases
Were you baptized on a U.S. military base, either in the U.S. or abroad? If so, your records are probably at the Military Archdiocese:
Archdiocese of the Military Services, U.S.A.
415 Michigan Ave., N.E., Suite 300
Washington, DC 20017-1518
phone: (202) 269-9100
fax: (202) 269-9022
e-mail: info@milarch.org
web site: www.milarch.org
Please send a written request to the Military Archdiocese, either by postal mail, fax, or e-mail, rather than by phone. It takes two to three weeks to receive the certificate.
Donations for Records
No matter which parish, diocese, or archdiocese provides you the baptismal certificate, it would be kind to send a donation once you have received your certificate to help the parish recover its expenses (searching the records for the certificate, typing it up with the notations of the other sacraments, mailing it). Ten or twenty dollars would be gratefully accepted.
For Further Assistance
We hope these questions help you in your search.
If you need further assistance or would like to be directed to your local diocese or archdiocese, please feel free to contact us. You may also find a listing of dioceses and archdioceses in the United States at the Web site of the United States Conference of Catholic Bishops.
Thank you. Best wishes in your search.
Eileen E. O'Brien
Director of Operations
Archdiocese of Los Angeles
3424 Wilshire Blvd.
Los Angeles, CA 90010-2202 U.S.A.
phone: (213) 637-7618
fax: (213) 637-6618
e-mail: eeobrien@la-archdiocese.org
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