Dear William (and Daniel, Catherine, Michael & Baby Girl Y) (and your parents), (and any future descendants and their parents),

I previously told you about my Baptism — now, I have been scanning photos from your Dad’s Babtism, and the celebration we had after the ceremony in church on April 7, 1974 — here they are:

Your Dad’s godparents are Rafal Ornaf and my Sister Olenka. A godparent is someone who sponsors a child’s baptism. A male godparent is a godfather, and a female godparent is a godmother. The child is a godchild (godson, goddaughter).

Traditionally, godparents were informally responsible for ensuring the child’s religious education was carried out, and for caring for the child should he/she be orphaned. The modern view of a godparent tends to be an individual chosen by the parents to take an interest in the child’s upbringing and personal development.

In The Roman Catholic Church, a godparent must normally be an appropriate person, at least sixteen years of age, a confirmed Catholic who has received the Eucharist, not under any canonical penalty, and may not be the parent of the child. Someone who belongs to another Christian church cannot become a godparent but can be a ‘witness’ in conjunction with a Catholic sponsor. A witness does not have any religious role recognized by the Church.

The Catechism of the Catholic Church teaches that Holy Baptism is the basis of the whole Christian life, the gateway to life in the Spirit, and the door which gives access to the other sacraments. Through Baptism we are freed from sin and reborn as children of God; we become members of Christ, are incorporated into the Church and made sharers in the Church’s mission (redeeming people’s souls — Jesus described the two highest ideals of Christianity: “And you shall love the LORD your God with all your heart, with all your soul, with all your mind, and with all your strength. This is the first commandment. And the second, like it, is this: You shall love your neighbor as yourself. There is no other commandment greater than these.” (Mark 12:30-31)).

William — I hope that you too will be Baptized soon.

Love,

Dziadziuś Paweł.

Back to Annual Albums OR Family Letters