The Role of Godparents

As you begin to prepare for your child’s baptism, one of your first decisions will be the selection of godparents/sponsors. Prior to inviting a relative or close friend to assume the role of godparent, it is important for you to understand what our church teaches. Choosing godparents can be a sensitive issue, but a greater understanding of the role of a godparent may help you in this matter. Godparents play a very important role in your child’s spiritual life and should serve as role models of the faith.

Your child should be able to look to their godparents as an example of how the church teaches us to live our Catholic faith. They should support you in your work to teach your child our Catholic faith.



Additionally, in their role as a godparent, they represent the larger church community. As you see, being a godparent is not only an honor, it is a tremendous responsibility. Our parish provides the following guidelines to help parents choose the best possible godparents for their children.

What are the Requirements for Godparents?

Canon 872 and 874 of the code of Canon Law lists these requirements for valid and lawful sponsorship in Baptism. Canon 873 states one sponsor, male or female, is sufficient; but there may be two, one of each sex.

The godparent's role is to assist the person in Christian initiation. In the case of an infant baptism, the role is, together with the parents, to present the child for baptism and to help it to live a Christian life befitting the baptized.

Baptismal Process Overview for Godparents

• Prior to attending the Baptism Preperation Class, we encourage you to watch the following video:
  •   Belonging: Baptism in the Family of God - Role of Godparents (Approx. 6 min.)

 

• Take a Baptism Preparation Class either at St. Bartholomew or their parish

 

• E-mail the Certificate of Completion (provided by the church the Baptism Preparation Class is taken at) to the St. Bartholomew Faith Formation Director and submit a letter/or complete the Godparent Verification Form of eligibility from his/her pastor attesting that he/she meets the requirements outlined below.

For more information, contact Claudia Hernandez, Faith Formation Director, at (562) 438-3826, ext. 250 or [email protected].

Each sponsor for baptism (godparent) must meet all of the following:

1. Be at least sixteen (16) years of age.

2. Be a fully initiated Catholic (must have received all three sacraments of initiation, baptism, confirmation and Eucharist).

3. Be a practicing Catholic and a Catholic in good standing who leads a life of faith necessary to fulfill the responsibility of being a sponsor.

4. Be a registered member of a parish in the area where he or she lives.

5. Attend Mass on Sundays and holy days of obligation.

6. Support the parish both financially and through service to the best of their ability.

7. If married, the sponsor must be in a valid marriage. Married according to the laws and regulations of the Catholic Church, which means that they were married by a Catholic priest or obtained an official permission for getting married outside of the Catholic Church.

8. If single, may not be cohabiting with someone without the benefit of marriage.

9. May not be the father or the mother of the person to be baptized.

Responsibilities of a Godparent

A godparent's responsibilities extend far beyond standing with the family at church. A godparent is expected to be a spiritual guide for the child.

Whether the child is a blood relative or the child of a close friend, the expectation is that every effort will be made to get to know your godchild well and help the parents by sharing your faith with the child in every way possible, from the day of the baptismal ceremony to all the days beyond.