Congratulations on the birth of your child!The Taunton Catholic North Collaborative rejoices with you and your family. We are delighted that you have chosen one of our parishes for your child's baptism and hope to provide you with some basic information about our preparation process and requirements.
What are the requirements for parents presenting a child for baptism? At least one parent must be a practicing Catholic and committed to raising the child in the Catholic faith. A parent that is not Catholic has to express a willingness to help and create a home where a child will receive an environment to grow in faith as taught by the Catholic Church. Following the registration for Baptism, there will be a Baptism Preparation Class where parents and sponsors are expected to attend. Classes take place on the 4th Thursday of every month at 6:00 PM and are for all three Churches within the Colaborative.
What are the requirements for godparents/sponsors? It is important to realize that in the Catholic Church a Sponsor/Godparent is just not an honorary title that we bestow on close friends. Godparents in the Catholic tradition are members of the Christian community who, by their lives and their faith, set a good example for the child whose initiation into this community they are sponsoring. To put it in contemporary terms, Godparents are mentors in the ways of the Catholic faith.
Based upon this understanding of what it means to be a godparent/sponsor, the following are the requirements of a Godparent as found in the Code of Canon Law.
Usually a child has two godparents, but only one is necessary. If there are two, then one is male and the other is female.
Godparents must be at least 16 years of age, practicing Catholics, and have received all the Sacraments of Initiation: Baptism, Confirmation and Eucharist. If they are Catholic and married, they must be married in the Catholic Church.
Parents of the child can not be Godparents, however, grandparents can serve in this role.
If the Catholic Godparents are married, they must be married in the Church.
It is possible for a non-Catholic Christian to be a Christian witness as long as one godparent is Catholic. A Catholic who has left the faith can not be a Christian witness.
Godparents are required to go to the Parish where they are currently registered to get a sponsor form which show that they have met these requirements. It is best that they contact their Parish office in advance to ask for the certificate. Finding a godparent in some circumstances may be difficult. If Godparent(s) cannot be present for your child’s baptism, you may choose others to stand in as proxies for the Baptism ceremony. Only the names of the chosen (actual) godparents will appear on the Baptism certificate.
How to Register for Baptism at our Parishes Please fill out the form below and once you submit it, someone from our offices will contact you to complete the process.