Once upon a time sacramental documents were lovely and theologically meaningful. Now, not so much.
This is from a reader:
I was wondering if you knew of where my fiancé and I could obtain a traditional catholic marriage certificate for our coming wedding. We are not very thrilled about the modern just printed off certificates that they have now.
Anyone?
This could be a cottage industry for some entrepreneur.
I did hunt up this place for First Communion. CLICK the image.
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My wife and I have a beautiful marriage certificate that a friend gave us from TradeMark Catholic Stationery. They would seem to fulfill the reader’s inquiry: http://www.catholicstationery.com/page57.html
There is Cenacle, it’s British, but they also do Baptisms, Confirmations, Holy Communions, and All-in-One Sacramental Records.
http://cenacle.co.uk/products.asp?category=Prints&subcategory=Sacramental Records
God Bless.
Note there is a space in the link, that’s how it is in the url so a copy and paste will be necessary.
God Bless.
One of my most memorable experiences as an altar boy in the early 1960s involves a wedding certificate.
The couple did not have the document after the ceremony. The priest, noticing the document in the sacristy after the nuptial mass, said, “Without this, they can do nothing.” I took the remark as a reference to getting a hotel room as a couple in Maine. I was handed the document, and ran after the limousine, which was just leaving the church. I pounded on the trunk, the limousine stopped, and the groom rolled down the window. I handed him the document, he smiled broadly, and handed me what was at the time many weeks’ allowance.
There is this site too-
http://www.catholictothemax.com/categories.php?category=Sacramental-Certificates/Baptism
Was this custom very common in the old days? I have never come across anything like this in my years of researching my family’s genealogy. Many family members had no records/certificates of their sacraments and I had to contact the actual parishes.
Christopher, spaces are illegal in URLs, so even copying and pasting will not help; you will still not go to just the right page. However, if instead of inserting an actual space in the URL, you insert the code
%20(which stands for a space) you will get to the right page. Thus, http://cenacle.co.uk/products.asp?category=Prints&subcategory=Sacramental%20Records.We purchased several certificates from TradeMark. They are tastefully done and good quality.
Geoffrey – I came across my Grandfather’s baptismal certificate about 3 years ago. Oddly, it is the same design as the one I used for my own child.
It has been my experience that when going for First Communion or Confirmation, a notarized certificate from the Church where you were baptized is needed.
Angelus Press has BEAUTIFUL Sacramental certificates.
Etsy.com has a couple of very nice options.
There is a gorgeous antique-looking marriage certificate at an Etsy shop called farahrose. (One “r” in farah) There was another pretty marriage certificate at etsy if you do a search for “Catholic marriage certificate.”
Loosely related…
I once met a priest while traveling who had a very touching gift from, I think it was either a parishioner or family member, but it was an embroidered wall hanging with the dates he received each sacrament, and the name and some symbolic representation of each one. All of the dates had been filled in save for the 7th, that of extreme unction. Yes, he was a widower who had been ordained after his wife’s death, and I thought what a rare privilege it is for any one man to receive all seven of the sacraments Christ entrusted to the Church.
Any certificates that are aren’t in that pastel and cloying gaudy style from the early 1900’s?
Father!!! Now you have this jobless college student looking at and desiring things she cannot afford!! Ooooh… such gorgeous veils!!! Must refrain from spending money… The two veils and the scarf I own are enough… I am however, definitely purchasing the certificate that has room for all of the sacraments on it. :) Thank you Father!
Scott W: You’d prefer Mondrian or Warhol? Beauty is in the eye of the beholder. What is cloying to you, others may find beautiful.
I can recommend the ones Father has up in the main body of the post. We have them for our girls and they’re quite nice.
We’ve order Beautiful Marriage Certificates, Priestly Ordination cards, Ordination Anniversary cards, Priest’s Birthday cards and Stationary from Mother of Our Savior Catholic Goods. You can see their catalogue at:
http://www.JoyfulCatholic.com
We are very pleased with their selection.
And don’t forget that you can contact your diocese to request a Papal Blessing certificate as well. They will contact someone in Rome who will send you a gorgeous document [complete with the Pope’s picture] conferring a Papal Blessing on your marriage. Ours is displayed in a prominent place in our house…
I’m currently working on a marriage certificate with Matthew Alderman. I’m not sure we would call it “traditional” but it will be well done. I’m not sure when it will be completed, I have to follow up on that…. It will probably be some time before I figure out how to get them printed and sell them…