Godparent Resources and Gift Ideas for Godchildren
2165 In Baptism, the Christian receives his name in the Church. Parents, godparents, and the pastor are to see that he be given a Christian name. The patron saint provides a model of charity and the assurance of his prayer.
-CATECHISM OF THE CATHOLIC CHURCH-
- CATECHISM OF THE CATHOLIC CHURCH-
Suggestions
of Things You
Can Do for Your Godchild
Can Do for Your Godchild
- Pray for your Godson or
Goddaughter.... every day!
- Attend Mass on Your Godson or
Goddaughter's Birthday
and offer it up.
- Send a mass card to your Godson or
Goddaughter on their
First Communion, Birthday, Confirmation, or in times of difficulty.
- Find out the name of the Saint who shares a
Feast Day
with your Godchild's Birthday. Send your Godchild prayer cards and
other spiritual gifts related to this Saint. You can also pray a novena
to this Saint for your Godchild.
- Attend important events like:
Baptism, First Communion,
Confirmation, Jr. High and High School Graduation, Wedding Day.
- Always remember to send the Godchild small
religious gifts
once in a while. This should be in addition to a regular
birthday gift
if you normally give the child one. A religious gift will let your
Godchild know you are concerned about him or her Spiritually, and in a
special way that is different from anyone else. Suggested religious
gifts for a Goddaughter or Godson could be: rosaries, chaplets, holy
cards, saint medals, religious statues, holybears, saint dolls,
Catholic videos or DVD's, and anything else you can think that will
encourage their Catholic Faith to grow.
- Telephone or email your Godchild
every so often, so that
you keep an active relationship going. This is especially important for
Godparents who live out of town or far away from the Godchild. If you
live near your Godchild, you can take him or her out for a soda or out
to dinner once in a while. Spend time with your Goddaughter or Godson
and be active in his or her life.
- Go to your Godson or Goddaughter's
extracurricular events
like: basketball games, dance recitals, academic meets or other
important events. Your Godchild will notice you are interested in him
or her and it will help you to bond.
- Send cards to your Godchild every so
often.
- Leave a message on your Godchild's
home answering machine
or cell phone that you are praying for them.
- Remember your Godchild's Birthday, Baptism
Day, and
Christmas with a special religious gift. If it is a one time
occasion
like a marriage or a graduation, give them a gift that will be a
keepsake. Keepsake gifts could be an Icon, a very special rosary,
or a piece of Catholic art.
- Help your Godchild learn about the Saints. Send them books or information about different Saints that they might have an interest in.
- Set a good example: Attend Mass and
Holy Days of
Obligation. Be a practicing Catholic. If you haven't been to Confession
in a while... Go!
- Teach your Godchild a Catholic devotion.
Pray the rosary or
Chaplet of Divine Mercy with your Godson or Goddaughter. Invite him or
her over to your house or take him or her to the Church. If you live
far away, possibly try to do this devotion as the same time of the day.
The earlier you start with the Godchild the easier it will be to teach
devotions that will last a lifetime. You will also create memories that
will be a blessing to your Godchild.
Role
of the Godparent
Now
that you are a Godparent,
you may be asking yourself... what is my job? What do I do?
Well, first off, don't just do nothing! You have a very important job. Your new title "Godfather" or "Godmother" is not just a title... with this title comes a very important responsibility... the responsibility of "spiritual support" and "Godly example" to this precious child. Not only is this a very important job and big responsibility, this is also a lifetime commitment that you have made to this child and his or her parents.
The parents of your Godchild are bringing you into their family. If you choose to be a Godparent in title only, most likely they will regret their descision. The problem is, you have been chosen for life and cannot be replaced.
Therefore, it is your duty as a Godparent to take an active role in your Godson or Goddaughter's life... so let's get started!
Do you have a picture of your Godchild? If not, get one. This child is now part of your life. You will need to pray for this child and take an active role in his or her life.
Do you know when your Godchild's birthday is? If not, call the parents and find out. Find out any special needs or likes or dislikes that your Godchild might have. Ask the family if there is anything you can do to help with the Baptism if your Godchild is a new baby.
Get a notebook and write down the important facts about your Godchild. Be sure to write down his or her Baptism day so that you can remember this day with a card or phone call.
It would be good to have a photo album for pictures of your Goddaughter or Godson.
If you Godchild is not an infant, have an impromptu interview and ask some questions. Ask your Godchild what he or she enjoys doing, likes to eat, and other specific questions.
Some questions you might ask your Godchild are:
These are just a few ideas to get you started. Most importantly, take an active interest in your Godchild. You are a special person... YOU have been chosen to be a Godmother or Godfather! Your Godchild needs you to do the best you can do to lead him or her to God!
Well, first off, don't just do nothing! You have a very important job. Your new title "Godfather" or "Godmother" is not just a title... with this title comes a very important responsibility... the responsibility of "spiritual support" and "Godly example" to this precious child. Not only is this a very important job and big responsibility, this is also a lifetime commitment that you have made to this child and his or her parents.
The parents of your Godchild are bringing you into their family. If you choose to be a Godparent in title only, most likely they will regret their descision. The problem is, you have been chosen for life and cannot be replaced.
Therefore, it is your duty as a Godparent to take an active role in your Godson or Goddaughter's life... so let's get started!
Do you have a picture of your Godchild? If not, get one. This child is now part of your life. You will need to pray for this child and take an active role in his or her life.
Do you know when your Godchild's birthday is? If not, call the parents and find out. Find out any special needs or likes or dislikes that your Godchild might have. Ask the family if there is anything you can do to help with the Baptism if your Godchild is a new baby.
Get a notebook and write down the important facts about your Godchild. Be sure to write down his or her Baptism day so that you can remember this day with a card or phone call.
It would be good to have a photo album for pictures of your Goddaughter or Godson.
If you Godchild is not an infant, have an impromptu interview and ask some questions. Ask your Godchild what he or she enjoys doing, likes to eat, and other specific questions.
Some questions you might ask your Godchild are:
- Favorite color
- Favorite movie or tv show
- Patron Saint
- Activities he or she is involved in
- Name of Parish he or she attends
- Favorite foods, sweets, deserts
- Pets names
- School he or she attends
- Cell phone (for older Godchild)
- Birthday
- School Mascot
- Favorite Subject
- Favorite Games
These are just a few ideas to get you started. Most importantly, take an active interest in your Godchild. You are a special person... YOU have been chosen to be a Godmother or Godfather! Your Godchild needs you to do the best you can do to lead him or her to God!
Other Links and
Resources:
-
The Role of Godparents
by FR. WILLIAM SAUNDERS
http://www.catholiceducation.org/articles/religion/re0233.html - THE ROLE
OF THE GODPARENT
by The Catholic Doors Ministry
http://www.catholicdoors.com/courses/godpar.htm
-
Godparent
From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Godparent - Baptism
Information Page
Our Lady of the Snows and St. Anges Parish
http://www.stahfp.org/Baptism%20Information%20Page.htm
- Spiritual
Parents
The Role of Godparents in the Catholic Church
http://www.cuf.org/FileDownloads/godparents.pdf
- Godparenting
101
Orthodox Christian Information Center
http://www.orthodoxinfo.com/praxis/godparenting101.aspx
- Baptism
Preparation
St. Peter's Catholic Church, Bromesgrove
http://www.stpetersbromsgrove.co.uk/assets/pdf/BaptismPrepLeaflet.pdf
- Celebrating
First Communion
Liturgical Commission of the Archdiocese of Milwaukee
http://www.archmil.org/resources/userfiles/1stcomm.pdf
- Godparents Interesting History
Encyclopedia of Children and Childhood in History and Society
http://www.faqs.org/childhood/Fa-Gr/Godparents.html
- Gifts for Godchildren
SaintsMarket.com Catholic Store
Rosaries, Childrens Scapulars, Saint Books, Patron Saint Medals, Rosary Keepsake Boxes, Angel Icons, St. Michael Statues, Childrens Saint Books, Baptism Keepsakes, Communion Gifts, Confirmation Gifts, more.
