During the Baptism Ceremony, parents will take a promise before God that they will raise their child (or children) Catholic.  The only requirement of parents in requesting Baptism for their child is that there is a "founded hope" that the parents will raise their child as a Catholic in the Catholic Church.

Parents will have to choose a godparent or godparents for their child or children.  The Catholic Church requires that those persons wishing to serve as Godparents, must be Catholics who have been Baptized Catholic, as well as have received the Sacraments of Confirmation and Eucharist in the Catholic Church.  Prior to asking individuals to be godparents, parents of children should try to ensure that the persons they intend to ask meet these requirements.  More information on this can be found on the side menu tabs, "What is the Role of a Godparent" and  "Who Can Be A Godparent." 

Yes!  However, the non-Catholic parent must take the same promise as the Catholic spouse to raise the child Catholic or at the very least, to not interfere with or undermine the child being raised Catholic.

In the world today, when people speak of a godparent, we often hear things like, "God forbid something should happen to me or my spouse, then our godparents will step in and raise our children."

This is a very good hope, but it is only a portion of who the Godparent is and should be in the life of your child or children.

In the Order of Baptism, the godparent takes a promise to assist the parent or parents in raising their child or children in the Catholic Faith, but more importantly, they also takes the promise to step in and raise the child or children in the Catholic Faith in the place of the parents, if the parents fail to do so themselves.  Since the role of the godparent extends beyond the Baptism ceremony and includes the responsibility to help raise the child or children in the Catholic Faith, it is only fitting that the godparent themselves must be "Fully Intitiated Catholics" (Code of Canon Law No. 874).  Furthermore, the Church does not feel comfortable making non-Catholics take a promise to raise someone else's child in the Catholic Faith if that is a faith in which they themnselves do not profess belief.



More information on exact requirements for godparents can be found under the side menu tab, "Who Can Be A Godparent." 

The Catholic Church requires Godparents to be a Baptized Catholic who also: 

• Is at least 16 years of age
• Has received the Sacrament of Confirmation in the Catholic Church
• Has received First Communion in the Catholic Church
• If married, should have been married Sacramentally in the Catholic Church (opposed to civilly by a JP, etc)
• and should be "living a life of Faith" (attends Mass regularly)

• Protestant or Orthodox Christians may serve as a Christian Witness, if and only if there is also one Catholic godparent who meets the above requirements.
• A Christian witness stands as an example of what it looks like to live the Christian life like a godparent, but a Christian witness is not Catholic so a standard Godparent is still needed. 

The Code of Canon Law requires a minimum of one godparent who has received all 3 Sacraments of Initiation, Baptism, Confirmation, and Eucahrist, in the Catholic Church.  

If there will be two sponsors, there must be one of each gender (1 godfather and 1 godmother). If someone is serving as a Christian witness, the other sponsor must be a Catholic who has received Baptism, Confirmation, and Eucharist, in the Catholic Church.  

There is no cost for Baptism at either of our parishes.  
Families are welcome to give a donation of their choosing to the Parish, the celebrant, or to both.