Sponsors and Godparents are two figures who witness our Catholic journey, along our life. When we are going to be baptized, our parents select two people, a man and a woman, who are going to accompany our Baptism celebration, the first of the seven Catholic Sacraments. On the other hand, the Sponsor is chosen by ourselves when we are going to receive the sacrament of Confirmation. The Confirmation Sponsor is the person we elect to be our mentor and guide along the way.
Do you know what their role is in our life?
Discover it by reading the following post.
Godparents: the Catholic guides of our childhood
As mentioned before, when we are going to receive the Sacrament of Christening, our parents choose two people of their dearest ones, a man and a woman, to be our Godparents, our Catholic guides, the people who witness our entrance into our Catholic life. They make a profession of faith for the person being baptized, who is named “Godchild”, and assume an obligation to serve as proxies for the parents if they either are unable or neglect to provide for the religious training of the child.
So what’s the main role of the Godparents?
They serve to encourage the child’s spiritual growth over time and stand as examples of other adults with maturity in faith.
Usually, our parents choose our Godmother and Godfather according to the esteem they nurture for them, as an exceptional example of Catholic faithfulness. The Godparents are like second parents in our life: they are the people who attended to our entry in Christian life.
Have you been chosen as Godmother or Godfather?
Have a look at this Baptism gift set and give your Godchild a memorable gift that will accompany him/her for life. It is composed of one sterling silver binding rosary necklace with white Swarovski crystal beads and a central Miraculous Medal, depicting Our Lady of Grace; and a finely handcrafted sterling silver Christening medal, depicting the Sacrament of Baptism.
Do you prefer other kinds of articles?
Discover the whole collection of Christening gifts.
DISCOVER OUR GIFTS FOR BAPTISM>
How to be a good Catholic Godparent
The hard part of this job comes right after Baptism!
It is a lifelong occupation that will enrich you with a lot of love towards your godchild. Make sure you fulfill the following “Godparents’ rules”
- Pray for your godchild daily;
- Pray for your godchild’ parents daily;
- Commemorate every year the anniversary of your godchild's Baptism;
- Be a Catholic model for your godchild;
- Share the most important moments of your life with your godchild;
- Make your godchild join your life;
- Always be supportive;
- Help your godchild whenever he/she needs it.
Confirmation Sponsors: the Catholic guides we choose
The Sponsors for Confirmation have a very similar role to Godparents.
While Godparents are chosen by our parents, the Confirmation Sponsor is chosen by ourselves, when we are adult enough to make our own choices. For this reason they are linked to the Sacrament of Confirmation, when we want to confirm our faith and trust in God and our belonging to the Christian world. Through Confirmation, we say “Yes, I am a Christian and I do strongly believe in God and His plans for me”. By the way, we know, Christianity is always about caring for others, love each other and so on. That is why we are called to choose one person to be our sponsor for Confirmation: he/she must be someone we really love and appreciate, someone we think could help us learn the teachings of Jesus Christ, like a sort of second Catholic guide in our lives. It can be our brother or sister, our uncle or aunt, or simply someone we really love and appreciate.
Wondering what their role is?
Have you been chosen as a Confirmation Sponsor?
Looking for more options for Confirmation?
Discover them all!
DISCOVER OUR CONFIRMATION GIFTS>
What do I need to be a good Sponsor?
If you have been chosen to be a Confirmation sponsor, just make sure you meet these requirements:
- At least 16 years old;
- You already received the Sacrament of Confirmation;
- Be a convinced and enthusiastic Catholic who lives a life of faith;
- Pray regularly and be a good example for your candidate;
- Attend all the Confirmation classes;
- Cultivate a supportive and encouraging relationship with the confirmand;
- Be involved in your parish community;
- Have knowledge of the personal faith of the confirmand and share with him/her your own experiences of faith;
- Lead and guide the candidate to a personal relationship with the Lord;
- Help the candidate to understand the plans that God has for him/her;
- Help the confirmand to assume his/her responsibilities linked to Christian life.
How to be a good Sponsor after Confirmation
Once the candidate receives the Sacrament of Confirmation, just make sure to always be an example of faith and love for him/her.
- Maintain regular social contact with the confirmed;
- Pray regularly for the confirmed and, if possible, with him/her;
- Help the confirmed to learn how to experience a deeper prayer life;
- Encourage participation in the life of the Church and his/her parish community;
- Continue ongoing catechesis and always be available for questions;
- Help him/her to understand how to bear witness to Christ in the world and to fulfill his/her baptismal promises faithfully, through the Holy Spirit.
Being chosen as a Confirmation Sponsor honors us so much, because it means that someone really sees us as a model of Christianity.
For this reason, always remember to be a good Christian example for who chose and trusted you as a Catholic.
Related articles:
On the Sacrament of Baptism: advice from Pope Francis →
10 Christening gifts for boys and girls →
Catholic Confirmation: 5 basic facts we need to know →