Who can be a godparent?
In the Catholic Church, godparents must:
- be 16 years old or older
- have received the sacraments of Baptism, Eucharist, and Confirmation
- be a practicing Catholic (should regularly attend Sunday Mass and be a faithful Catholic)
- If the godparent is married, he/she must be married in the Catholic Church
- Cannot be the parent or the step-parent of the child to be baptized
A child receiving baptism may have one godfather and one godmother. Only one godparent is required, if parents prefer.
Children may instead have one Catholic godparent along with one Christian Witness, a non-Catholic, baptized Christian from another faith tradition (one male and one female).
Per the Archdiocese, unless the godparent is a registered parishioner of St. Joseph, a "letter of goodstanding" is required from the pastor of the godparent's parish before the baptism can be scheduled.