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Ideally sponsor needs to be local, someone who takes their faith seriously and is willing to walk with the Candidate on this journey. They need to make a point to meet with them at least once a month to discuss the student’s faith life, what they are learning, and how to develop a relationship with God and more specifically the Holy Spirit. This cannot be a boyfriend/girlfriend but a mentor.
The Sponsor
The sponsor plays a very important role, not only in the preparation, but in the spiritual life of the candidate. The sponsor becomes a teacher and spiritual companion in the journey to the sacrament. He represents the Church and gives witness on confirmation day that the candidate is fully knowledgeable of the main beliefs of the Catholic faith and of his responsibilities as he joins the Church. Obviously, the sponsor needs to be an active practicing Catholic. No one can give what he does not have. The sponsor must be able and willing to meet and teach their candidate in preparation for confirmation.
The Church looks at the sponsor as a mentor, counselor and role model. He must also be a prayer partner and intercessor for him. Today’s concept of the role of the sponsor for Confirmation is similar to the role of the sponsor for baptism, except that he accepts the responsibility of the spiritual wellbeing of the candidate. The ideal is that he does not restrict his role to the preparation for the sacrament but extends his relationship with him as long as the circumstances allow.
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The Role of the Sponsor
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Jesus instructed His apostles for three years before sending the Holy Spirit to empower them and make them formal members of His Church and send them out to make “disciples of all nations.” The sponsor is in charge of instructing the candidate and making sure he is ready to be a follower of Christ and get him ready to receive the power of the Holy Spirit to live the Gospel of Christ and share it with others.
he sponsor represents Jesus. The sponsor represents the Catholic Church.
He is in charge of helping the candidate to join this Church, which is the vehicle, founded by Jesus Himself to help us pursue holiness and reach our final destination: heaven. Promoting the Catholic Church by showing the candidate all it offers is an essential part of the role of the sponsor.The sponsor represents the community.
He is in charge of helping the candidate feel welcome as a new adult member and to become an active and joyful member of the community. The sponsor must help the candidate to see that being in community helps him to live a Christian life and to find good friends and peers who love and serve the Lord. He must promote the sacraments, the community prayers and community activities including the participation in youth group.
The sponsor must be a spiritual companion to the candidate in his journey toward receiving the sacrament.
He must not look at his role as just a temporary assignment but as a lasting spiritual relationship with the candidate, which must go beyond the confirmation ceremony. The ideal situation is that the sponsor becomes a spiritual godparent and feels responsible for the spiritual life of the candidate for as long as circumstances permit. He must be a counselor, a guide and a role model. He must also be a prayer warrior and intercessor for the candidate. -
Recommended Books
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Contact Us
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Rachel Smythrachel.smythctrcc.comDirector of Youth Evangelization and Catechesis
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