ROLE AND RESPONSIBILITIES OF A SPONSOR

Let’s begin to define the role and the responsibilities of the sponsor. Please review this page before inviting someone to be a sponsor and then review it with them following the invitation.

A sponsor must have the following qualifications:

  • A sponsor must be at least sixteen years old.
  • A sponsor must be a fully initiated Catholic (one who has celebrated Baptism, Confirmation, and the Eucharist) who “leads a life in harmony with the faith and the role to be undertaken.”
  • A sponsor must not be bound by any Church penalty (e.g. excommunication).
  • A sponsor must not be the parent of the one to be confirmed.

(The Code of Cannon Law: A Text and Commentary, canons 874 and 893)

Though the application of canon 874 to Confirmation does not allow parents or guardians to be the sponsors of their child, the rite of Confirmation allows the parents or guardians to present their child for Confirmation during the rite itself (see canon 893).

Canon 893 also states: “It is desirable that the one who undertook the role of sponsor (i.e. godparent) at Baptism be sponsor for Confirmation.” Our contemporary culture often makes this principle - though a logical and attractive one in view of the connection between Baptism and Confirmation - difficult to accomplish. Our society’s mobility makes it unlikely that the baptismal sponsor is geographically close enough to serve as a Confirmation sponsor; however, if they are nearby they should certainly be considered!

Some dioceses strongly recommend that sponsors be at least twenty-one years old. This recommendation is intended to discourage candidates from choosing as their sponsor another adolescent who is not fully formed in the faith. That being said, the minimum age for Confirmation sponsors in our parish community is sixteen.

 

Required Paperwork for Sponsors

This year we are asking for all Sponsors to turn in their Certificate of their Marriage in the Catholic Church or Confirmation Certificate if they are not married. If they are married, but not in the Catholic Church, they cannot be a Sponsor at this time, but our staff would love to help them get their marriage Convalidated. 

In addition to that certificate, they will need to get a letter of good standing from the parish where they are registered and regularly attend Mass. If that is St. Mark, they will need to contact Liz at the Front Desk.