Newborn baby left in laundry basket at Cathedral of St. Paul

ST. PAUL, Minn. (KMSP) - A newborn baby boy was left at the Cathedral of St. Paul Wednesday night.

According to police, a church employee found the boy in a hallway after Wednesday's 5:15 p.m. Mass around 6 p.m. He was wrapped in blankets and in a carrier.

He appeared to be healthy and was taken to Children's Hospital. Ramsey County Child protection will take over once he's released from the hospital.

St. Paul Police say if there's a parent who needs medical help, she should not be scared to call 911 or go to a nearby hospital. They also want to emphasize although the baby wasn't left at a hospital, this is not a crime.

According to the Cathedral, their custodian, Nathan Leonhardt, heard a noise come from a plastic laundry basket - he found the baby naked, wrapped in a green, fleece-tied blanket. The baby's umbilical cord was cut and clamped with a binder clip.

Reverend John Ubel will hold a press conference at 2 p.m. Father Ubel named the baby, Nathan John. He also baptized the baby while they waited for police.

"I am profoundly grateful that this beautiful baby is healthy and safe and whomever dropped him off at the Cathedral felt that this was a safe place where he would receive the care he needs and deserves as a child of God." Father Ubel said.

"The newborn is currently safe and being cared for," Ramsey County officials said in a statement. "We can't speak about any specifics of individual child protection cases due to data privacy laws. Generally speaking, however, in such cases Child Protection would open an investigation. These investigations typically establish the next steps to determine ongoing temporary care and permanency planning for the child."

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