Godparents

To be a godparent (or a sponsor for someone who is receiving Confirmation) a Catholic must meet the following requirements. These are not “guidelines” here at St. John’s. These are the requirements of the universal Catholic Church and are the same all over the world. Different parishes may choose to document these requirements differently. The role of sponsor is an important one! The godparent (sponsor) must be a fully initiated Catholic who supports the person receiving the sacrament through their own example of Catholic living and a desire to help the person learn more about the Catholic faith through prayer, discussion and instruction. The Catholic Church has the following requirements for godparents/sponsors:

The sponsor must be a fully initiated member of the Catholic Church which means he or she has received the sacraments of Baptism, Eucharist (Communion) and Confirmation.

The godparent/sponsor must be at least 16 years of age (a person younger than 16 must be fully initiated in the Catholic Church).

The godparent/sponsor must have an active life of faith in the Catholic Church and provide good example of Catholic Living.

If the godparent/sponsor is married, he/she must be married in the Catholic Church.

The godparent/sponsor cannot be either parent of the person being Baptized or Confirmed.