Selection of a Confirmation Sponsor
What is a Confirmation Sponsor?
Each Confirmation Candidate is required to select one sponsor to walk with them through their journey. A Confirmation Sponsor is a valuable assistant to parents in fostering the faith. For that reason, parents cannot sponsor their own children. A sponsor is a Catholic mentor. They should be good role models, comfortable in their faith, and able to be active in the mentoring process. A sponsor can be an adult friend or family member whom the candidate can trust to be open, honest, caring, and encouraging.
Who can be a Confirmation Sponsor?
The sponsor must be a fully-initiated, practicing member of the Catholic Church, who is at least 16 years of age
and registered at a Catholic parish. As a reminder, the sponsor cannot be a parent.
Fully-initiated- baptized, confirmed and receives the Eucharist.
Practicing– attends Mass regularly and supports the mission of the Church.
How to Choose Your Sponsor:
The role of a sponsor is that of an active mentor not of holding an honorary title. By definition, a mentor is someone who serves as a guide, counselor, and teacher for another person. Whomever you choose should be active in the church, able and willing to share why his/her Catholic faith is important to him/her, and who lives close enough to help you with and be involved in your preparation. You can choose a relative (other than a parent/guardian), friend, or someone from the Church as your sponsor. Carefully consider your choice, pray about it, and when you think you have the right person, ask him or her to help you grow in faith by being your sponsor!
Your Sponsor Serves You in Three Ways:
- As a role model for you in faith. Your sponsor is someone other than your parents because he/she will assist you and your parents in your continued faith formation. The person you choose does not have to be the same gender as
- As a companion on your faith journey, supporting you in prayer and in your search for the Holy Spirit. Someone whose Christian lifestyle you admire, someone with whom you feel comfortable, and someone who has the time and willingness to be involved with you throughout this process.
- As a witness for you before the entire Church. Standing by you as you are confirmed, he/she proclaims that you are ready and willing to accept the responsibilities and privileges of being a fully initiated member of the Catholic Christian community
What is Required of a Confirmation Sponsor:
The sponsor needs to be willing to meet with the candidate on a regular basis prior to Confirmation and to make a commitment to continue the faith journey after Confirmation. The sponsor is to attend, stand witness for his/her candidate, and present his/her candidate to the Bishop at the Confirmation Liturgy.
Attendance is required at the:
-Confirmation Liturgy
-It is strongly encouraged that the sponsor attends Session #1. It is also suggested that the sponsor spend time with the candidate attending Mass, performing service, or joining the candidate for the "Pilgrimage Project" (see attachment page).
