Milestones in sanctification

Jason Whitehead, diocesan director of faith formation and catechesis, leads a class on sacramental recordkeeping for parish staff at the Catholic Center in Fort Worth. (NTC/Juan Guajardo)

An infant swaddled in heirloom baptismal garb or a bride resplendent in her white dress — the pomp and circumstance of these traditions are ancillary to their significance in the Catholic Church. After all, the sanctification a child of God receives in the sacraments is sacred and fundamental to one’s eternal life of faith. 

As such, sacraments must be carefully recorded by the church administrator; and if the bride was baptized in another parish, the recorder must notify that parish of her marriage. Neither baptismal nor marriage certificates can be distributed until they have been documented by the sacramental recordkeeper.

To Jason Whitehead, diocesan director of evangelization and catechesis, keeping a detailed record of an individual’s completion of the sacraments is a responsibility that goes far beyond tracking the data. 

“The Church takes as an important responsibility the tracking of the sacraments because they are interrelated and work holistically toward our sanctification. When we miss recording [the sacraments], we miss part of that person’s story, part of that person’s journey in their faith,” he said. 

Overseeing the process and policies around sacramental recordkeeping isn’t Whitehead’s primary job, but it has become a passion. In recent years, the diocese has seen an increase in calls from Catholics trying to locate sacramental records in preparation for a marriage or confirmation.

To improve and unify the recordkeeping process, Whitehead held a one-day orientation for diocesan sacramental recordkeeping. Cintia Ventura, the sacramental records and baptism coordinator at St. Patrick Cathedral in Fort Worth, attended the class. 

Ventura, who has a degree in anthropology, shares Whitehead’s passion for accurate recordkeeping. Like Whitehead, Ventura has seen an increase in calls for sacramental records. A typical call may be from a prospective bride or groom who needs their sacramental record as part of the Pre-Cana process. 

It is Ventura’s job to look up the record and provide a copy of the baptismal certificate with handwritten notations on the back that show the dates of additional sacraments. She averages about 10 calls a day with seasonal increases, such as the Easter season when youngsters make their first holy Communion and adults prepare to become godparents. As a recordkeeper, Ventura sends notifications or sacramental records to parishes in faraway places like Mexico, Italy, the Middle East, India, and the Netherlands.

“Sacramental records remain at the baptismal parish for life,” Ventura said. “There are registers at St. Patrick’s that date back to the late 1800s. 
“When it comes to historical documents, and these documents are already part of history, I’m fascinated. I want to make sure the little part I do is done properly and serves as an example for those who come later,” she explained.

Whitehead, too, explained the importance of Ventura and her diocesan counterparts’ responsibilities: “recordkeeping is not just about the records per se, it is about how the Church serves the faithful.”