Pillar 2: Marriages, Audit Reports and Timelines


The Recording from the 5/18 webinar can be viewed here.


The document for Pillar 2 (Sacraments) is attached below. The document includes instructions for entering the sacraments of Baptism, First Communion, Confirmation and Matrimony. 


The May 18 webinar covers Marriages including looking for the bride and groom in ChMS using Family Explorer and Member Search. It also demonstrates pulling a young adult from their parent's family and pulling someone into an existing family to create a new family record for the couple.  We also visit how to enter the sacrament record of Matrimony for each spouse, update their family name, add her maiden name, and set their marital status to Married by a Priest/Deacon.


The general rules for marriages:  

  1. The sacrament of marriage is counted as 1 sacrament for two people.
  2. A family, for the purpose of recording a marriage, must include member records for both a bride and a groom.
  3. The matrimony sacrament is entered into both spouse’s member sacrament record.
  4. The sacrament dates must match for each spouse.
  5. The sacrament should be recorded first in the Marriage Register and then in ChMS in the week following the ceremony, preferably by Wednesday end of business day.


The basics for entering the sacrament of Marriage: 

  1. Establish the new family for the couple with the bride and groom as family members (pull from an existing family or create new family)
  2. Enter the matrimony sacrament for the groom. Update his marital status to "married by a priest/deacon."
  3. Enter the matrimony sacrament for the bride. Update her marital status to "married by a priest/deacon," update her last name, add her maiden name.
  4. Update the family name to reflect the couple's family name.
  5. Update the family status and church of registry (if appropriate) 


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The document for entering Sacraments is attached. The Marriage entry section is below. Included in the document is decision tree to assist in finding brides and grooms in ChMS in their original parent family, their own adult family or when the young adults cannot be found.

  • Enter Marriages celebrated at your church.
    1. The sacrament of marriage is counted as 1 sacrament for two people.
    2. A family, for the purpose of recording a marriage, must include member records for both a bride and a groom.
    3. The matrimony sacrament is entered into both spouse’s member sacrament record.
    4. The sacrament dates must match for each spouse.
    5. The sacrament should be recorded first in the Marriage Register and then in ChMS in the week following the ceremony, preferably by Wednesday end of business day.
    6. Make a note of the Register Book Volume/Page/Line [1]
    7. DO NOT CREATE A NEW FAMILY without first doing an extensive Member Search (can narrow down with a birthdate) for each spouse. (The marriage paperwork should indicate Parents, previous parish, birthdate, address, etc.)
    8. See the Decision Tree (Addendum A) for a decision tree on when to create a new record or pull the member from his parents to create a new family.
    9. Once the new family with both spouses has been established the Matrimony Sacrament can be entered. The wedding date must match for both the bride and groom’s sacraments.
      • Add the Matrimony Sacrament for the Groom, insert the bride’s name for “Spouse Name.”
      • Add the Matrimony Sacrament for the Groom, Insert the groom’s name for “Spouse Name.”
    10. Update the miscellaneous tab for each spouse for Marital Status “Married by a Priest/Deacon.”
    11. Add the maiden name for the female (even if she chooses to keep her Maiden name after marriage) and update her last name if she’s taking the grooms surname.
    12. Update the family name, status, envelopes and Church of registry.


Reports for Auditing Sacrament entries and matching them to the Official Registers


Updated 6/13/23 pyoung