Catholic church for baptism with non-Catholic godparents?
I have been looking to have my son baptized in a Catholic Church. I am looking for a place that will allow multiple godmothers, one that is Catholic and married and one that is a young single woman, my sister. Is this even possible having no godfather? We were looking into this before the shutdown happened. His father, a Catholic, recently passed away, and it was the one thing that he was adamant about happening, besides keeping him a Raider fan. I am not Catholic and was not raised in a church. I would prefer something in the Richmond, Berkeley, Oakland area.
Aug 31, 2021
Parent Replies
St. Columba Catholic church ..many social justice oriented ministries.
Hi,
I can’t make recommendations for churches in those areas, but having recently gone through the process for my son, I can tell you that you only need one godparent who is Catholic. The other godparent can be a witness and would only need to be non-Catholic Christian (although I don’t think they do anything to confirm this.) Since the witness is not technically a godparent, it’s possible they would not have an issue with it being another woman. Hope you’re able to find a church that supports you and your son.
Our son was baptized at Corpus Christi Church, and had two godmothers. Both parents were Catholic, and the ask was that one of the godmothers must be Catholic, but the second didn’t need to be. Father Leo is very warm and progressive.
Assumption Church in San Leandro was excellent! We had one godparent who had made her confirmation and one not but it wasn’t an issue. All Saints in Hayward refused our Godfather because he wasn’t confirmed which was surprising since he was married in that parish and served as an usher weekly. Just call around.
My nephew was baptized at St. Mary Magdalen in Berkeley. He has two godmothers - myself and his other aunt. The church had no issues with that arrangement.
Many Catholic families baptize their children with multiple godparents. Some are single, some are married. In some cultures, like Latino and Filipino, there are SO MANY godparents, like a dozen - maybe more! I recommend speaking with Deacon Dave at The Cathedral of Christ the Light near Lake Merritt. Other option to consider is Newman Hall in South Berkeley (close to UC Berkeley).
My partner [now spouse] and I, both women, are our now 17 year old nephew's godparents. We did a brief meeting with a priest at St. Mary Magdalen in Berkeley, with no questions or problems. The baptism itself was at my brother's church out in Modesto, and no one batted an eye when we stood up for him at the ceremony. I was raised Catholic, but my spouse was not, and it didn't seem to matter to any of the people involved.