Being asked to be a Godparent is a great privilege and a sign of trust, but you may be wondering what it involves. On this page you will find answers to some of the questions godparents often ask. If there are other things you'd like to know, please email me and I will try to help.
What is a Godparent?
Godparents are people specially chosen by parents to give their children extra support through their lives. In particular, they have a responsibility to help their godchild grow spiritually. That doesn't just mean encouraging them to develop their Christian faith and get involved with the Church, but also to help them learn to wonder at the world, to love others, to be confident that they are loved themselves and to choose a good path in life.
Who can be a Godparent?
Godparents should be old enough themselves to make their own decisions about faith. Ideally they should be baptised (christened) and confirmed themselves. It is possible for me to waive the requirement to be confirmed, but if you haven't been baptised and have been asked to be a godparent, please get in contact to talk about that. You need to be happy to make various promises on behalf of the child, which you can find here, which are the same promises you would make on your own behalf if you were being baptised, so please have a look at them, and think about whether you are comfortable making them. It is always possible for you to act as an informal sponsor for the child, if the family wants you to, rather than formally taking on the role of godparent if you are uncomfortable doing so.
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