 As recounted in the editor 's introduction of the 1874 memoir of Booth 's sister 's , Asia Booth Clarke , no one church was preeminent in the Booth household during her childhood . Booth 's mother was Episcopalian , and his father was described as a free spirit , who was open to the great teachings of all religions . On January 23 , 1853 , the 14 @-@ year @-@ old Booth was baptized at St. Timothy 's Protestant Episcopal Church . The Booth family had traditionally been Episcopalian . Clergyman Charles <unk> , however , stated that Booth was really a Roman Catholic convert , later in life . An historian , Constance Head , also declared that Booth was of this religion . Head , who wrote the paper " Insights on John Wilkes Booth from His Sister Asia 's Correspondence " ( 1982 ) , published in the Lincoln Herald , quoted from a letter of Booth 's sister , Asia Booth Clarke , in which she wrote that her brother was a Roman Catholic . Booth Clarke 's memoir was published after her death . Terry Alford , a college history professor and a leading authority on Booth 's life , has stated , " Asia Booth Clarke 's memoir of her brother John Wilkes Booth has been recognized as the single most important document available for understanding the personality of the assassin of President Abraham Lincoln " , and " no outsider could give such insights into the turbulent Booth 's childhood or share such unique personal knowledge of the gifted actor " . Testimony given at the trial of John Surratt showed that at his death , Booth had a Catholic medal on his person . Court evidence showed his attending a Roman Catholic church service on at least two occasions . Like his sister Asia , he received education at a school established by an official of the Catholic Church . As to Lincoln 's assassin 's being seen an Episcopalian during his life and in death , while really being a Roman Catholic , Constance Head stated : " In any case , it seems certain that Booth did not publicize his conversion during his lifetime . And while there is no reasonable cause to connect Booth 's religious preference and his ' mad act ' , the few who knew of his conversion must have decided after the assassination that for the good of the church , it was best never to mention it . Thus the secret remained so well guarded that even the most <unk> anti @-@ Catholic writers who tried to depict the assassination of Lincoln as a Jesuit or Papist plot were puzzled by the seemingly accurate information that John Wilkes Booth was an Episcopalian . " 
