make a request

To obtain a certificate of Baptism (Profession of Faith), First Holy Communion, Confirmation, Marriage, or the reception of Holy Orders, please click the link below and complete the necessary fields to order the appropriate certificate.

There is a $5.00 fee for each certificate being issued.

Sacramental Records and Access

There are no centralized records of any kind maintained by the Diocese of Toledo that would permit searching for sacramental information by a person’s name alone. Records are generally maintained by each parish or institution individually.

As long as a parish is open, it is responsible for issuing sacramental certificates upon request. The Archives Office has microfilm of the sacramental records of all parishes in the Diocese dating from each parish’s inception through 2001 but is considered the central repository for the records of closed churches only.

In attempting to locate a baptism record, the name of the church is of utmost importance. Without a specific church name, finding records will be considerably more time-consuming and, for parishes within the City of Toledo, practically impossible. If the church name is unknown, then the home address of the person at the time of baptism, or the nearest large cross streets, can be extremely helpful. If a person is seeking his or her baptismal church located in an Ohio city outside the Diocese of Toledo, the Archives can assist you in determining in which diocese that church is located and can provide the address and phone number of the proper diocesan office to contact.

Another way to pinpoint the church of baptism is through other sacramental records, i.e. First Communion or Marriage. Many times, the name of the church of baptism is recorded in the registry of these other sacraments. Again, if the reception of other sacraments occurred outside the Toledo Diocese or outside Ohio, the Archives can provide assistance in researching the address and telephone of that church.

Sacramental records are not open to examination by the general public. Only authorized Diocesan or parish personnel may view them. An individual seeking his or her own sacramental record for either a church or civil purpose may obtain a certificate as needed. All persons requesting a certificate from an operating parish will be referred to that parish with a few exceptions.

Sacramental records may be used for statistical, quantitative research for certain scholarly projects. Prior approval from the Chancellor of the Diocese of Toledo is required.

The Diocese is in possession of a number of original records from St. Anthony’s Villa and Orphanage that date back into the mid-1800’s. The original records are not, under any circumstances, accessible by the general public.

In the case of sacramental records that may concern an adoption, the Archives cannot reveal the names of the natural/biological parents. No certificate issued by either the Archives or any individual parish will contain this information.