The seven sacraments are the pillars of Catholic life. As concrete signs of commitment and spiritual progress, they punctuate the major milestones in the life of the faithful. Also, parishes preserve the memory of sacraments by keeping the official acts (records) in their archives.

Sacraments are generally celebrated in churches by trained and ordained ministers. To ensure that the quality of the celebration is in keeping with their nature, it is necessary for the ministers who preside over them to be authorized to do so by Church authorities. The Chancery is responsible for the management of all permissions (faculties) granted by the Archbishop, as well as the authorizations granted by Vital Statistics to Catholic ministers who celebrate marriage.

To obtain a certificate:

All certificates for sacraments (baptism, confirmation, marriage) are issued by parishes. Please contact the parish where the celebration of the sacrament took place.

Find a parish here

To obtain faculties and permissions:

Priests and deacons of the Diocese of Montreal who wish to ask for faculties enabling them to celebrate adult baptisms, confirmations, professions of faith or marriages must contact the Chancery at 514 931-7311, ext. 245.

Priests or deacons who are visiting the Diocese of Montreal and who wish to celebrate sacraments or exercise a ministry absolutely must send the Chancery a suitability letter that was duly completed by their Ordinary.  

Here is a model of this letter

Marriage is one of the seven sacraments that are celebrated in the Church; it is also a fundamental institution in Catholic life and in civil society. 

Parishes accompany the couples who want to get married in the Church in several ways, in particular by preparing the documents that will be used for the official registration of their new status in the state and the Church.

To facilitate the preparation of your marriage, we provide answers to the most frequently asked questions.

Necessary documents to prepare your marriage file:

Do you expect to get married soon? The first thing to do is to contact your local parish, which will then be able to initiate the preparation of your marriage file.

This must include the following forms:
 

• Baptism certificate, recently issued (less than six months)

• Copy of your act (or certificate) of birth or passport

• Form 5: Request and rescript

• Prenuptial inquiry (to be completed with your parish priest)

• Certificate of participation to a marriage preparation course

• For information concerning ae request for a marriage to be recorded in Vital Statistics, please contact the Chancery at (514) 931-7311, ext. 245
   

Learn more :

Why should we marry?
FAQ - Marriage

For all questions concerning a declaration of the nullity of marriage, please contact the Montreal Ecclesiastical Tribunal.

Registers are a precious heritage of the Church. They are the long memory of the people of God and its history. To ensure their permanence, they must therefore be carefully kept and protected. As for certificates, they are indispensable documents for the faithful (they are official copies testifying that their holders received the sacrament).

• In general, all certificates and documents related to sacraments (Baptism, Confirmation, Marriage) are kept in the parish where the celebrations took place. 
   

  • Find a parish here
     

• For all questions concerning parish registers and certificate, please refer to the following documents:
   

  • FAQ - Registers (for parish secretaries)

  • FAQ - Registers (for public)

  • For corrections to registries