Being a Sponsor by Fr. Aaron Hess

As our parishes have been blessed with many marriages, baptisms, and confirmations, this also means that there is a lot of paperwork that needs to be taken care of to make all of these things work. I very much appreciate everyone in the offices who help us track these down, take care of requests, and get them printed, signed, and stamped. It is one of those thankless behind the scenes jobs at any parish, and yet it is so necessary and helpful!  Thank you Melissa, Amy, Steph, Taylor, Megan, Kelsey, Marcella, and anyone else I may have missed who helps with this! 

One of the most common things that need signed are forms to be a godparent for Baptism or a sponsor for Confirmation. These forms are primarily filled out by the sponsor themselves, and it goes over the requirements necessary to be a sponsor. It is not just enough to be an older sibling or other relative to be a sponsor. This role is a very important one, as you take on the responsibility of helping the student or child grow closer to God in their Catholic faith. That is why we ask if you are a practicing Catholic that goes to Mass every Sunday, or that you believe and uphold everything that the Catholic Church teaches, or that you are in a regular marriage situation. We do it not to exclude, but to help build up those you will be responsible for. If you are asked to take on this role, it is an honor and a privilege, but it should not be taken lightly. Look at those questions and answer them honestly and fully to the best of your ability, and if you do not feel that you are up for the task, then it may be in the best interest of the child or the student for you to decline at that time and then work to grow your own faith so that you can generously say yes in the future.

I do want to bring up one more important point in regard to being a sponsor.  At the very end of this form, there is a small part that the priests have to fill out on your behalf. This is where I sign my name saying that you are a registered member of the parish, to the best of my knowledge. However, there have been a number of instances where people are not registered here, or they have moved and have not come to Mass here for years and yet still are on our books and ask us to sign on their behalf. I cannot always in good conscience say that you are a member of the parish if you haven’t been here for years, and other parishes can’t sign it for you because you are not nor have you ever registered as a member of that parish. So I would like to take this time to encourage you on a couple things. If you have moved to one of our parishes and have not registered with us, give us a call at the office. We would love to officially register you and get that squared away! If you have children who have graduated from high school but are living in the area, I would also ask that you encourage them to register as an individual in the parish instead of just being under you and your spouse. And most importantly, if you have children who have moved away from Shelby County, ask them if they have registered at the parish they now attend. This way, if they are asked to be a sponsor, they can easily go to the church they attend now and get the paperwork signed easily, stating that they are in fact a member of that parish.  

Being a sponsor for these important Sacraments is an underappreciated role that can help build up so many more graces in our communities. So above all, take that role seriously. If you are a sponsor but do not live up to everything that you signed for, then today is a great day to start. Check in on your godchildren, not just with birthday presents, but to see what they need or could benefit from you spiritually. Pray for your own godparents and sponsors, and thank the Lord for their continued witness of the faith to you.