The Group Sacrament Entry page features that save you time by allowing you to add or edit multiple sacrament records that share the same information simultaneously.

Overview of the Group Sacrament Entry Page

The Group Sacrament Entry page provides features that let you add new sacrament records to your database simultaneously. Additionally, you may, on occasion, find that you want to make the same change or changes to several sacrament records. Using group sacrament entry, you can quickly update those records simultaneously instead of editing them one at a time.

The group sacrament entry process is easy to use. To help you enter your data into the system, the Group Sacrament Entry page walks you through the three-step process.

1. Search your database
   • Use the filters to search your database to find the member records you want to work with. The remaining steps in the process are performed on the result set of this initial search.
2. Select members to include in the group
   • Select members in the results set to identify those for whom you either want to add new sacrament records or edit existing sacrament records. The members you select in Step 2 comprise the target group.
3. Enter information into shared data fields
   • Select the desired data fields and supply the information you want to enter. When saved, the system updates the information in all of the records in the target group.

Your Ability to See Sacrament Data

Your ability to see sacrament data is controlled by your diocese, specifically:

• If your diocese chooses to hide a specific sacrament, the sacrament does not appear in the Sacrament to Update dropdown list, so you cannot select it to view its data.
• If your diocese hides all sacraments, the Sacraments button is not visible, so you cannot access the Sacraments page.

Note: Your diocese removes the restriction on hiding a sacrament; the system adds the sacrament's name back to the Sacrament to Update dropdown list. If the entire list is removed, it is reloaded after visibility for any individual sacrament is enabled.

Permissions

The permissions assigned to your ParishSOFT Family Directory login determine which sacrament-related tasks you are allowed to perform. The following table defines the permissions assigned for each level:

Permissions are set only by users with organization administrator privileges. If you require a type of permission to do your work that is not currently granted, contact your organization administrator for assistance.

Step 1: Member Search

The illustration below identifies the Search fields on the Group Sacrament Entry page. 

In this first step, use the filters to search your database and find members that match your criteria. The filters are described in the following sections. You must specify at least one criterion to search for.

After you select a filter value, the system loads the value and refreshes the page. When you are ready to search, click .

If certain search filters are not available (dimmed) for data entry, either you do not have the appropriate Religious Education permissions tied to your login credentials, or your organization is not licensed to use the Religious Education module.

Pro Tip: To speed data entry, press the Tab key to advance the cursor to the next filter field.

Sacrament Filter List

This filter list contains four sacrament options:

• Baptism
• Reconciliation Prep
• First Eucharist
• Confirmation

Select the desired sacrament to search for records of that type.

Religious Ed Filters

Prep Year Filter

This text entry filter enables you to enter the preparation year for the sacrament selected from the Sacrament filter list.  

Enter the year in YYYY format to search for records matching that preparation year.   

Term Filter

This dropdown list filter contains options that are defined as school terms in your Religious Education application (for example, Winter 2015).

Select a term from the list to search for sacrament records of members who took classes in the term.

Class Filter

This dropdown list filter contains options that are defined as classes in your Religious Education application (for example, 1st Communion).

Select a class from the list to search for sacrament records of members in the class.

Grade Filter

This dropdown list filter contains options defined as grades (for example, Grade 9)  in your Religious Education application.

Select a grade from the list to search for records of members in the grade.

Age Range Filter

These text entry filters let you search for members' records within a specified age range.

To specify an age range, enter a number in the From and To fields. Each field is limited to two numbers and accepts non-negative, non-decimal numbers.  

Search and Clear Buttons

Click to search for records that match the criteria currently loaded into the search fields.

Based on the criteria you enter, the system locates members and displays their names in the Member Records grid.

Click to clear the contents of the search fields so you can enter new values.

Step 2: Select Members

If your search returns any results, they are displayed in the Member Records grid, shown in the left panel of the following illustration:

In this step, you must select the members from the result set for whom you either want to add a new sacrament record or edit an existing one. When you select a member in the left panel, the system adds the names to the Selected Members list in the right panel, as illustrated below:

Grid Controls

Both the Member Records and Selected Members grids contain useful controls for viewing and filtering the lists. The controls are described below.

Column Headers

If the list contains a lot of records, you can use one or more of the column headers to further narrow down the list to find the exact record you are looking for:

• Last Name: Type a last name into the field to display members with the same last name.
• First Name: Type a first name into the field to display members with the same first name.
• Age: Enter an age in the field to display members of that age.

Expand and Close Record Buttons

Each record in the list contains some details about the member. Click to expand the entry and view member details. For example:

You can use these details to verify that you are selecting the correct member.

To close the entry, click

Add Member Button

This button appears to the left of each member listed in the Member Records grid. If you want to add or edit the member's record, click  . The member is added to the Selected Members list in the right panel. The Selected Members list shows the group's members.

Remove Member Button

After you add a member to the Selected Members list, this button appears to the left of the member's name. If you need to remove a member from the list, click .

Page Controls

The number of pages in the Member Records grid is displayed at the bottom of the grid. Select a page to go directly to that page in the grid. Alternatively, click the page back or page forward button in the list. The total number of records in the grid is shown in parentheses.

Step 3: Enter Sacrament Information

Step 3 shows the five fields that the four types of sacrament records have in common. In this step, you must define the exact value in each field. When you save the records, the system updates these fields with the values you specify in the records of all members you selected in Step 2. The illustration below identifies the data entry fields in Step 3. 

Checkbox Controls

Note the small checkbox control to the left of each data entry field. By default, all checkboxes are disabled (not selected). If you want to enter data into a field, you must first select the checkbox to activate the entry field, as shown below: 

Shared Data Fields

The following table lists and describes the shared data fields (the fields that sacrament records have in common). Enter a value into any of these fields to update all records with the value.

Save and Cancel Buttons

saves the values entered into the data entry fields. The system updates these fields in each selected member's record.  

cancels the group event entry process. No changes will be saved to the database.

Updated January 28, 2026 17:41