OH-CLEVELAND-IRISH-L Archives

From:
Subject: Re: Witnesses at church events
Date: Sat, 10 Aug 2002 11:59:07 EDT

No, there was no rule that they had to be related. However, since a baptism
sponsor in those early times might also be the person who would become
guardian of the child in case of the parent's death, it was a more common
custom that a family member be chosen. It was considered a great honor to be
chosen. Close family friends often were picked for the honor also. One
requirement was that the sponsor be a practicing Catholic. Weddings were
similar but many times the sponsor's were not Catholic after 1864 when RC
weddings became part of the Civil record. In the USA, I know that in some
cases in my own family, a wedding sponsor was not a Catholic but the other
one was.

Mary Ellen Chambers
Lakewood Ohio

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