How do I find a Catholic sponsor?

Question

I am starting college in a new city, and I want to start going to a Catholic church (I haven't been to church since I was.....11 maybe?). I need to take adult classes, I never had first communion.

I don't know anyone who is Catholic that I could ask to be a sponsor, so I'm a little embarassed to ask at church for help, that is, I can't ask someone I hardly know to be a sponsor, right? . How can I handle this?

That's why I've been putting off going back to church...
thank you.

Answer 1

Your college probably has a Catholic outreach, probably a Newman Center. Drop in and introduce yourself. Or look in the phone book and find the closest parish, in the yellow pages under Churches - Catholic. Any Catholic Church will welcome you.

The parish you select will provide you with a sponsor if you don't know anyone in the neighborhood.

With love and prayers in Christ.

Answer 2

Your new parish will have an RCIA program (Rite of Christian Initiation for Adults). Since you never had first communion, that's where you'd start. They are generally warm and wonderful people and will be delighted to bring you into the social circle where you can find a great sponsor. I'd give the church a call and ask to speak to whoever is in charge of adult religious education in the parish. Don't be shy or embarassed - everyone has to start somewhere!

Best of luck to you in this exciting journey back into the faith, and God bless you.

Answer 3

If that's what you want to do then I think you have to go to the church where you'll be living, talk to the pastor (or whoever it is that handles such stuff), and just be honest about what your situation is.

It probably wouldn't be a matter of your asking someone you don't know to be a sponsor. Maybe the church can assign someone to you. You can't be the first, last or only person in your situation. They're the ones who know how to deal with it.

Answer 4

I went through this same thing..Started classes at age 40. Guess what? People in the class are established members and want to sponser you. I could have virtually asked any of them (whom I never knew before) and they would love to help. It is a great priveledge that seemed like they all wanted to do. The Father will also ask you if you need help with this and it is not necessacary to pick anyone till near the end of class. Go ahead and relax ;these things will work themselves out. Have fun! Ps. communion is for me my favorite part...I was surely nervous at first.

Answer 5

Go to your local parish and talk to a priest. But also, I recommend that you try studying the faith on your own. This was how I learned most of what I know. I did a lot of research with the websites that I provided below. I listened to a lot of Catholic radio, and I watch Catholic TV (EWTN) a lot. Here is a home study website that is great:

St. Paul Center for Biblical Theology (Dr. Scott Hahn)
http://www.salvationhistory.com/

Here are some other great Catholic links to get you started:

EWTN
http://www.ewtn.com/

The Holy See
http://www.vatican.va/

Catholic Answers
http://www.catholic.com/

The Catholic Online Encyclopedia
http://home.newadvent.org/

Defenders of the Catholic Faith
http://www.catholic-convert.com/

Scripture Catholic
http://www.scripturecatholic.com/

Our Catholic Faith
http://www.ourcatholicfaith.org/

Catholic Culture
http://www.catholicculture.org/

Dave Armstrong's Blog on the Catholic Faith
http://socrates58.blogspot.com/

Crossroads Initiative (Dr. Marcellino D'Ambrosio)
http://www.crossroadsinitiative.com/index.html

Theology of the Body Institute
http://www.theologyofthebody.org/

The National Catholic Bioethics Center (NCBC)
http://www.ncbcenter.org/

Priests for Life
http://www.priestsforlife.org/

Answer 6

Hi there, I understand your situation because I went through the same uncertainty during my 'conversion' when I was in my early 20'.

Do not be embarassed to ask for help, and don't let the self-consciousness hold you back from taking this important step in your Faith journey. When it comes to Faith, Ask and you shall
Receive. If you get negative responses in whatever manner, be understanding and don't take it personal - remember that God is watching the person who has not made the time and effort in your time of need.

You are actually doing that person a favour and re-awakening his slumbering seed of faith duty, he will feel God's knocking (not yours) eventually. Remember that things will find their way to a solution - as long as you try. As long as you knock, somewhere someone will answer because God's hand will be involved.

You can do 3 things:

1. Seek a peer-level sponsor from your College. In my time, there are formal and informal Catholic student groups in the college. Try approaching them. Consider such student groups even if they are in other, nearby colleges. These groups can even offer you alternatives in terms of different venues for adult Catechsm classes.

2. Seek a sponsor from within your immediate or extended family and close friends. As you mentioned that you don't know anyone, my suggestion is that, if you have not already done so, dig up your address book, pray first for divine help, and then go through the names for someone who is Catholic. He or she does not need to be close to you in the past. God works in mysterious ways and adult Catholics will know when there is a call to help an 'Inquirer'. Please do not be embarassed to expose your need and face possible teasing or rejection.

3. Seek help from your Church Adult Catechism coordinator or the parish priest directly. They will organise the matching of their pool of volunteer sponsors to 'Inquirers'. We may be strangers when we meet, but under God's care and love, we are all brothers and sisters. From the other point of view, if the Church is asked to provide sponsors for willing 'Inquirers', it will be God calling out to them, not you. You in turn, are answering God's call too.

Please do not put off going back to Church. One is not limited by the other. God loves you irrespective of conversion or not. Conversion through adult catechism is your way of answering his call and following the Church's structured way of getting you prepared to understand and be ready to share Holy Communion. It doesn't matter if you have not been baptised at birth or have been baptised but not confirmed - let the Church sort that out for you after you have registered yourself.

Do attend mass even if you can't have communion yet, at least continue getting the blessing during communion. And make sure you approach the Church to register yourself for catechism if you still can't find a sponsor. They have scheduled dates for the start of annual programs and you just have to indicate that you need the Church to assign a sponsor when filling up the form.

Please feel free to share any further concerns with me at [e-mail] if you are still stuck in this 'journey'. Do not stay stagnant and indecisive because of doubt. Some would say that this is the work of the evil one, but I will put it simply as it would be wasteful to let a small matter of sponsorship and shyness to hold you back from the beginning of another part of your journey in life.

May God continue to bless you and keep you safe.

Answer 7

you need a sponsor for baptism and confirmation, not for holy communion. If you are saying you want to change to Catholicism then the priest can find someone for you who is a good parishioner and is a decent and good person.

If you have Catholic questions don't hesitate to write me.

Answer 8

well, talk to a priest. they will be more than willing to help. you will have to interact with them anyway in church, so why not right. i am an atheist, but i because of the family i am with do a lot with the church. i know a lot about at and respect it as much as myself or my own beliefs. i have possibly led more people to a deeper understanding of god then the monsinior who is there. i do so by talking to them about my beliefs and why i have them and in doing so they actually better understand there beliefs. talk to a priest they are friendly people and they will get you a sponsor.

Answer 9

Call the church and ask to speak to a priest, let them know you would like to start attending church.
They will be glad you want to come back.
you dont have to be baptized to go, just for comunion.
You dont need a godparent if you are wanting to be baptised as an adult.
CAll and ask .
All the best.

Answer 10

you don't need to have had a first communion to attend church - so go, maybe you could approach the priest or a eucharistic minister if the priest seems too overwhelming to you - good luck