Every priest is obliged to keep a detailed record of all those he has Baptized, Chrismated, Married, and Buried throughout the course of each year. Generally these statistics are recorded into a large ledger-type book which, is often kept in a safe location such as a safe or fire-proof cabinet. These entries are referred to as Metrical Records, because they measure how many sacraments were performed (metrics means measurement).
The Metrical Records often include the following information:
- full name of the individual
- names of parents (including maiden name of mother)
- names of godparents or sponsors
- names of witnesses at a wedding (best man/maid of honor)
- when and where a person was born
- when and where they were baptized
- when and where they were married
- when and where they were buried
- were they given the sacraments prior to death
- and who the priest was who performed these services.
The Metrical Records of our parish are contained in four large books and date back to 1922. The earliest entries are written in Russian.
Interestingly, since my arrival in June 1996, I have personally performed 360 Funerals, 130 Baptisms, 68 Weddings, and 22 Chrismations.
