Baptismal Godparents

Be Catholic. A godparent must be a baptized Catholic above the age of 16 years old and also has completed the sacraments of the Holy Eucharist and Confirmation.  A baptized non-Catholic may not be a godparent but can serve as a witness along with a Catholic godparent.

Not the Parent. Godparents cannot be the parent of the child that is being baptized.

Married in the Catholic Church. If the godparent is married, they must be married in the Catholic Church.

Follow the five precepts of the Catholic Church:  A godparent needs to be in good standing which is often defined as at a minimum following the precepts of the Catholic Church.  “Nobody expects you to be perfect,” says Patrick Madrid. “The Catholic Church does not require you to have a halo. But you have to be making a good faith effort to be a good Catholic—to love the Lord and to grow closer to him.”

The five precepts of the Catholic Church are:
  • Attend Mass on Sundays and days of obligation.
  • Confess your sins at least once a year.
  • Receive the Eucharist at least once a year.
  • Observe days of fasting and abstinence.
  • Provide for the needs of the Church. The Catechism notes that this “means that the faithful are obliged to assist with the material needs of the Church, each according to his own ability.” It can also include the donation of time.

One male and one female. The two godparents don’t have to be married to each other, but there can only be one male sponsor or one female sponsor, or one of each. In other words, you can’t have two godfathers or two godmothers.

Must be baptized. Non-baptized persons may not serve as a godparent.

Godparent/sponsor Information Form

This form needs to be completed by godparents/sponsors of the child to be baptized.

  • MM slash DD slash YYYY

  • Canon Law #874 states that a godparent/sponsor: •Must be a practicing member of the Catholic Church. • Fully initiated into the Catholic Church. • Must have reached the age of 16 years.

  • Sponsors (Code of Cannon Law) Can. 872 Insofar as possible, a person to be baptized is to be given a sponsor who assists an adult in Christian initiation or together with the parents presents an infant for baptism. A sponsor also helps the baptized person to lead a Christian life in keeping with baptism and to fulfill faithfully the obligations inherent in it. Can. 873 There is to be only one male sponsor or one female sponsor or one of each. Can 874 To be permitted to take on the function of sponsor a person must: 1/be designated by the one to be baptized, by the parents or the person who takes their place, or in their absence by the pastor or minister and have the aptitude and intention of fulfilling this function: 2/ have completed the sixteenth year of age, unless the diocesan bishop has established another age, or the pastor or minister has granted an exception for a just cause: 3/ be a Catholic who has been confirmed and has already received the most holy sacrament of the Eucharist and who leads a life of faith in keeping with the function to be taken on: / not be bound by any canonical penalty legitimately imposed or declared; 5/ not be the father or mother of the one to be baptized.

  • This field is for validation purposes and should be left unchanged.

If you prefer to fill out a hard copy, you can download the form below. Please mail or bring the form to Holy Spirit’s parish office. Holy Spirit Catholic Church 9821 Frankford Avenue Lubbock, Texas 79424. If you prefer email, please send it to amy@holyspiritlubbock.org.

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