Adults preparing to receive the Sacraments of Initiation (Baptism and/or Confirmation and Eucharist) through the Rite of Christian Initiation of Adults (RCIA) are paired with a parishioner, who accompanies them through the RCIA process. Called sponsors, these companions provide friendship, encouragement, help connect the RCIA candidates with the parish and offer an example of the Catholic way of life.

The weekly RCIA formation sessions take place on Wednesday evenings from 7-8:30pm at the parish. It’s fine to miss some sessions -- we just ask that you let your candidate know beforehand.

The sponsor’s main job is to accompany a candidate throughout the RCIA process. Sponsors aren’t expected to be theological experts or perfect moral examples, just faithful Catholics who are willing to show up. It’s not unusual for sponsors to report that they learned as much throughout this process as their candidates!

Sponsors are the bridge between our catechumens and candidates and the rest of the parish.

Our priests celebrate the sacraments of the faith and our catechists teach the faith, but our sponsors share the faith personally, energetically.

A candidate’s weekly conversations with her sponsor shapes her understanding of what it actually means to be a Catholic. Candidates learn how to worship by going to Mass with their sponsors. They learn to pray by praying with their sponsors. They learn from their sponsors about all the little unspoken things that make up the fabric of Catholic life.

A faithful sponsor can make the difference between whether a newly confirmed Catholic feels welcomed by the parish or alienated. And an effective team of sponsors can make the difference between a parish that grows spiritually and a parish that stagnates. 

Are you a practicing Catholic? Are you ready to spend time with other Catholics and candiates talking life and faith on Wednesday evenings? Are you excited to watch your own faith journey deepen as you witness your candidate’s conversion? 

I'm interested in being an RCIA sponsor.

Contact Jon Stotts at jon.stotts@ctk-nashville.org or 615-777-8910 with questions.

“A sponsor accompanies any candidate seeking admission as a catechumen. Sponsors are persons who have known and assisted the candidates and stand as witnesses to the candidates’ moral character, faith, and intention.”
“As they become familiar with the Christian way of life and are helped by the example and support of sponsors, godparents, and the entire Christian community, the catechumens learn to turn more readily to God in prayer, to bear witness to the faith, in all things to keep their hopes set on Christ, to follow supernatural inspiration in their deeds, and to practice love of neighbor, even at the cost of self-renunciation.”

From the Rite of Christian Initiation for Adults

The Ministry of the Sponsor

The ministry of the sponsor is a ministry of accompaniment.
 A sponsor is not a teacher, not a spiritual director, not an expert.
A sponsor is a living example of what it means to be an ordinary, happy Catholic.
A sponsor supports the candidate through the gift of her or his presence, consistently and intentionally.
A sponsor is a witness of the candidate’s spiritual journey into the Catholic Church.
A sponsor helps the candidate discover the Church as a living, practical, day to day reality.
A sponsor presents the needs of his or her candidate to God daily in prayer.

Basic Requirements of a Sponsor

To be a sponsor, you must…

• Be at least 16 years of age.
• Have received the sacraments of baptism, confirmation, and Eucharist.
• Be someone other than the parent of the catechumen/candidate.
• Be a practicing Catholic in good standing with the Church.
• (Preferably) be a registered member of the parish.
• (Preferably) be someone other than the spouse or significant other of the catechumen/candidate.

• Attend Mass every Sunday, preferably with your candidate
• Attend Sunday morning catechetical sessions, even when your candidate is not present (7:15-8:30pm at the Villa – 3007 Oakland Ave)
• Meet with your candidate at least once every other week for at least 30 minutes
• Pray for your candidate every day
• Check in with the RCIA director at regularly scheduled times and as needed
• Intentionally invite your candidate join and participate in the communal life of Christ the King