(OCIA is the program for Adults becoming Catholic)
Interested in becoming a Sponsor, but unsure if you ‘know’ enough? Don’t worry, you do not need to be a theologian to be a sponsor. You just need to have the heart to accompany someone on his or her journey into the Catholic Church. You will attend class each week, which takes place on Sundays from 10:30-11:45 AM in Corbett Hall. In addition, there will be a few classes that take place on other days. You will receive the full schedule at the orientation. There are also specific requirements that need to be met in order to be a sponsor and they are as follows.
Sponsor Requirements at Saint Brigid according to Canon Law 873 and 874:
QUALIFICATIONS FOR A BAPTISM GODPARENT
“Canon 874: §1. To be admitted to the role of sponsor, a person must:
- Be designated by the one to be baptized, by the parents or the one who takes their place or, in their absence, by the pastor or minister and is to have the qualifications and intention of performing this role;
- Have completed the sixteenth year, unless a different age has been established by the diocesan bishop or it seems to the pastor or minister that an exception is to be made for a just cause;
- Be a Catholic who has been confirmed and has already received the sacrament of the Most Holy Eucharist and leads a life in harmony with the Faith and the role to be undertaken;
- Not be bound by any canonical penalty legitimately imposed or declared;
- Not be the father or mother of the one to be baptized.”
QUALIFICATIONS FOR A CONFIRMATION SPONSOR
The qualifications for a confirmation sponsor (Canon 893) are the same as those for a baptismal sponsor (see above) plus:
- It is desirable that the one who undertook the role of sponsor at baptism be the sponsor for confirmation.
- A non-Catholic may NOT be a confirmation sponsor.
- Parents, though they may not be the confirmation sponsor, may certainly present their children for confirmation.
If you have any questions, please contact Deacon Leo Gahafer to find out more information about being an OCIA sponsor.