Letters of Good Standing

What is a Letter of Good Standing?
A letter signed by the pastor certifying that an individual is a registered (6 months minimum registration is required), active and contributing parishioner of Immaculate Conception Parish and so is eligible to serve as a godparent at Baptism, or a Confirmation sponsor.

To receive such a letter, the individual must comply with all three above requirements. The pastor will NOT sign such a letter if these requirements are not met.

Active Participation means:
To be considered an active parishioner in good standing of Immaculate Conception Parish we require the following:

• That you are registered here for a minimum of 6 months- if unsure: please call the Parish office.
• That you fulfill your obligation to attend Sunday Mass regularly and Holy Days of Obligation. So we know that you are attending, kindly either use your parish envelopes or online giving.
• That you contribute to the financial needs of the parish.

What happens when you do not meet these requirements?
From time-to-time Immaculate Conception Parish is asked to sign letters where the individual:

• is not registered with us,
• has no record of any stewardship or active involvement in our parish,
• is not known to anyone on the Pastoral Team, or,
• has recently moved to our parish and has no record of being involved here.

These issues make it impossible for us to sign a Letter of Good Standing. But please note that this may be a wonderful opportunity for you to re-assess your relationship with Christ and his Church. Being invited to be a Godparent or sponsor is a sacred thing and not something to be undertaken negligently or wantonly.

What if I have just moved to the parish?
If you have recently moved from another parish and have not yet been a registered member of Immaculate Conception Parish for the requisite 6 months, it may be best to seek a letter from your previous parish or some form of verification that we can rely upon.