All Christians are called by their baptismal vocation to imitate Jesus’ example and strive in thought, word, and action to live his love. This means working to heal the wounds of sin, living the Beatitudes, practicing the twofold commandment of love of God and love of neighbor. Specific works which are called ministries or apostolates of the Church are formal expression of the effort to continue Jesus' own ministry.

There are many descriptors for the practice of conducting a ministry or an apostolate in the tradition of the Catholic Church but since the 1950s the most commonly used descriptor is that of sponsorship.  In a 1994 statement, sponsorship is described as “the ability to ensure that a particular church apostolate remains true to Catholic values and the sponsor’s charism; sponsorship includes an obligation to care for, nurture, and advance the apostolate in order that it may continue Christ’s mission.”  

(taken from Catholic Health Ministry in Transition: A Handbook for Responsible Leadership)