Parish Records

Sacramental Records

Each Roman Catholic parish is required by church law to possess a set of parish books including baptismal, marriage and death registers. As such, the Basilica of Ste. Anne de Detroit maintains sacramental records for every sacrament that takes place in the church — baptisms, weddings, etc.

Unfortunately, the first records of Ste. Anne were destroyed when the first church building caught on fire. New records were started after that tragedy, dating back to 1704.

All records prior to 1900 are stored in the Archives of the Archdiocese of Detroit for historic preservation.

The ownership of all copyrights for all sacramental records is held by the Archbishop of Detroit.

Requesting Your Sacramental Records

Personal sacramental records may be requested from the office by filling out a request form.

Per Archdiocesan policy, while every individual has a right to a certificate of his or her own sacramental record, no one, with the exception of a parent or guardian asking for the record of a minor child, has the right to another person’s record.

If someone has power of attorney for another adult, he or she may request a certificate, but must show the parish personnel the power of attorney before the certificate is prepared.

The only other valid requests would be from another Catholic parish for sacramental reasons or from a Catholic tribunal for annulment reasons. No one else may receive a copy of sacramental certificate.

Request for certificates should be made in writing. No information from sacramental registers can be given by phone or email. Please contact the parish with questions at 313-496-1701.