Sponsor/Godparent Requirements for Baptism

Choosing a Sponsor/Godparent 1. Choose a sponsor/godparent who will be able to act as a “guide”; helping to direct the child’s faith journey throughout the child’s life. 2. The sponsor/godparent should be a good listener, a person whom the child will eventually come to trust and someone who will provide comfort, consolation, and advice in times of crises or doubt as your child grows. 3. The role of the sponsor/godparent extends beyond the Baptism ceremony, and well into the child’s life of faith. 4. A sponsor/godparent leads by example, witnessing by their own life how one can live as a Catholic Christian in the 21st century. Choose someone who will be a good example of a practicing Catholic for your child.

Qualifications 1. The person must be in good standing with the Roman Catholic Church (this includes attending Mass on all Sundays and Holy Days of Obligation, receiving the Sacrament of Penance at least once each year. If they are married, they must have been married according to the rites of the Roman Catholic Church). 2. The person must be a confirmed Catholic (confirmed, at least, one year prior to the date of your child’s baptism). 3. The person must be, at least, sixteen (16) years of age. 4. The person may not be the child’s parent. 5. The person must be registered in a particular parish from which they must obtain a Sponsor Certificate. (Not their sacramental records) This is a certificate signed by the person’s parish priest which states that they fit the above requirements for being a sponsor/godparent.

What is expected of the Sponsor/Godparent 1. To attend a Baptism Instruction Session with the parents on the Wednesday night before the Sunday on which the Baptism will take place. 2. You must provide a Sponsor Certificate from your parish priest to the priest of the parish where the Baptism is to take place.