Sponsors for Confirmation or Baptism (often called "godparents" when serving as a sponsor for Baptism) serve and bear an important responsibility for the person being Baptized or Confirmed.  They are called to support the person in their journey of faith, and to serve as a role model for what it means to be a faithful, practicing Catholic.  Thus, the Church imposes certain requirements to help assure that the sponsor / godparent will be able to fulfill this role for the person being Baptized or Confirmed.  The sponsor / godparent must be a fully-initiated and practicing Catholic, i.e., a Catholic who as himself / herself received the Sacraments of Baptism, Confirmation, and Holy Eucharist ("First Holy Communion").  They must be someone other than the parent of the one being baptized or confirmed, be at least 16 years old, and, if married, they must have either been married in the Catholic Church, or their marriage must have been blessed / convalidated in the Catholic Church.

The Sponsor Certification Form in pdf format may be downloaded below.