Congratulations on the birth of your child! Prospective parents are encouraged to prepare for the Sacrament of Baptism prior to the birth of the child. The parish offers a required one-session parent preparation program. The sacrament is celebrated following the completion of this program.
For more information and in order to prepare you and your child for the sacrament of baptism, please contact the Parish Office at (401) 884-2105 or via email at parishoffice@saintfds.org.
GODPARENTS
The baptism of a child is certainly a joyous occasion. Baptizing a child requires, on the part of the parents, some important decisions. One such decision is who will be the Godparents of the child. The Godparents, also known as the “sponsors,” should be people who will take their Godchild’s religious growth seriously.
Godparents represent the Catholic Christian Community at the ceremony of Baptism, but they are also expected to be the best examples of Christian living that can be found. Godparents must help and, when necessary, even challenge the parents with regard to their sacred promise to accept the responsibility of training their children in the practice of the faith and bringing them up to keep God’s commandments as Christ taught us, by loving God and our neighbor.
Because the role of the Godparent is very important in the faith development of their Godchild, there are certain qualifications that the Catholic Church requires. To be a Godparent at a Baptism (as well as a sponsor at a Confirmation) a person must obtain a “sponsor certificate” from their parish which tells us that the person is: 1. Baptized. 2. Confirmed in the Roman Catholic Church. 3. Registered member of a parish. 4. Someone who is practicing their Catholic faith by attending Mass weekly and living according to the teachings of the Roman Catholic Church. 5. Single or married according to the law of the Roman Catholic Church.
In exceptional cases, Baptized non-Catholic Christians (Protestants or Orthodox Christians) may stand as a “Christian Witness” to a Catholic Baptism, but only when there is one Roman Catholic person who qualifies to be a sponsor. Former Catholics, who have officially and publicly left the Catholic Church, or Catholics who have entered marriage in a civil or non-Catholic ceremony may not act as Godparents. They should work at correcting their situation when possible, thus making them eligible for this honor at another time.
Finally, it is good for parents to know that Canon Law requires only one sponsor; however, if parents want two sponsors then there can be only one male sponsor and one female sponsor. Hopefully this helps you to understand better the important role of a Godparent and will help you whenever you are trying to choose the right person to be your child’s Godparent.