2006 RCIAers! Have You Chosen a Confirmation Name?

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With Easter Vigil 22 days (and counting) away, I was wondering if everyone has picked out their Confirmation name. I would be interested in knowing the reasons for your choice, too!
 
Our priest doesn’t let our RCIA candidates/catechumens choose a Confirmation name. He says they should focus on their baptismal name instead. This was new to me.
 
Our church also doesn’t pick names. I wish they did. It’s rather sad I think. Blessings to everyone!
 
what is the history of choosing names? I’ve been told my son (age 7) due to be Confirmed & receive FHC soon, isn’t encouraged to choose a name either.

Beth
 
Well, at my parish we were absolutely encouraged to select a name. Last week, we were each asked to share the name/saint we had chosen and tell why it was we had chosen that saint.

While totally and absolutely convinced that it was through the joint intercession of St. Thomas More and the Holy Spirit that I came to the Catholic Church, there was a LOT of discoragement of me for even thinking to select a male saint (when I am female).

So, while St. Thomas More will always be whom I consider to be my patron saint, I chose Saint Sofia. I loved the whole concept of Wisdom giving birth to the virtues of Faith, Hope and Charity and, in turn, dying after they were martyred. Wisdom gives birth to the virtues and cannot exist without them.

So, now I have four saints…St. Thomas More, St. Sofia, St. Emma and St. Dogfan. Between them they give me all sorts of virtues to which to aspire.
 
Same here, I inquired with the church and they said that wasn’t necessary. I was quite disappointed. I don’t know, but things should be like they used to be. Why change it ya know?
 
we have a session when we are learning about the communion of saints in which we research the saints for the given names (or baptismal) names of our candidates and catechumens. they are free to choose a Confirmation name as well, but we don’t push it because for some reason it leads to a lot of anxiety. The name is a personal choice of another saint to be your personal patron, and does not appear on any of the documents or sacramental records, so it is entirely up to the individual. Since Confirmation and Baptism are so closely linked, the baptismal name should be honored.

for those being baptised they should keep their birth name, unless it is entirely inappropriate or has pagan connotations etc.
 
I also haven’t heard anything about it, (at our Parish) although I’ve had mine picked out for quite awhile now. I keep forgetting to ask too.

Mine is: John Francis Dominic.

John, because that is my given name, and for John the Baptist who I have always felt an affinity for as One who points to Christ.

St. francis of Assisi because the prayer of St. Francis, which I read so many years ago, stayed in my head all this time and kept me searching for the Truth. Also, because as I was looking into the faith, I was reading about St. Francis and absolutely fell in love with his teachings on poverty and spirituality.

Dominic for the Rosary, which I love, and the Dominican Order which I hope to join. First as a third order, perhaps later in monasticism - because I firmly feel ‘led’ to this. “How will they know without a Preacher?”

Veritas!
Peace

John
 
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super64:
Our church also doesn’t pick names. I wish they did. It’s rather sad I think. Blessings to everyone!
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Then pick one on your own- just keep it in your heart. Everyone has a patron saint.🙂
 
Such a shame about so many parishes not emphasizing names. My RCIA class gave us “homework” to write a paragraph as to why we are choosing our Confirmation name, but this hasn’t been mentioned in awhile, so I don’t know if the whole topic is up in the air or not. Is one’s “Baptism” name the middle name? I’ve been Baptized, so is my Baptism name my middle name?
 
Ironically, in the days when it was routine to choose confirmation names, the age at confirmation was so young that kids had no realistic opportunity to choose a saint they wished to use as a role model. Thus more than half the male kids I was confirmed with at the age of 8 chose Joseph, as did I. What did we know about St. Thomas More? Now the age of confirmation (not an obligatory sacrament in the first place unless you want to become a priest or religious) has been appropriately raised. In my opinion, a certain amount of time should be spent researching the lives of the saints in order to select an appropriate name (and thereby, by implication, lifelong patron). It shatters me that this custom has fallen by the wayside.
 
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answers:
Where can I find the stories about the saints.
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There are standard references in most even public libraries in the United States. One is simply called “Lives of the Saints” (I cannot remember the publishing details.) Both editions of the Catholic Encyclopedia would have details about the historical saints. The 1967 is still available at many libraries. The 1911 is online at newadvent.com. I’ve never consulted the Wikipedia on this so don’t know. In all honesty, using a message board as opposed to your librarian as a primary reference source is not always the best idea.
 
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Steve-o:
. Is one’s “Baptism” name the middle name? I’ve been Baptized, so is my Baptism name my middle name?
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your baptismal name is your given name, first and middle (if you have one). The reason another name for Confirmation is not stressed so much is to remind us of the strong link between Confirmation and Baptism.
 
How does the confirmation name work? We were given a choice, but told that people don’t really do it anymore. I may consider it, how does it work. What would the confirmation name mean? Does it take the place of my birth name? As you can see it really wasnt explained.
 
I’m choosing Theresa, for St. Therese of Liseux. I actually found out about her completely by accident, and was very touched by her life. She’s the first Saint I really felt connected to (and I still feel closest to her), mostly because I love how she did God’s work by living out her daily life; and serving Him in her “little way.” Among many other things, she has made me realize that just living out daily life doing good to others, even in life’s simplest tasks, is a wonderful way to serve God.
 
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THutch04:
I’m choosing Theresa, for St. Therese of Liseux. I actually found out about her completely by accident, and was very touched by her life. She’s the first Saint I really felt connected to (and I still feel closest to her), mostly because I love how she did God’s work by living out her daily life; and serving Him in her “little way.” Among many other things, she has made me realize that just living out daily life doing good to others, even in life’s simplest tasks, is a wonderful way to serve God.
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She was the most popular female saint in the decades after she died. Both my mother and my grandmother had a devotion to her. Typically, if one owned three plaster statues, they would be of the Sacred Heart, Our Lady, and St. Therese of Lisieux. There was an excellent movie made about her in France about 20 years ago called “Therese.” It is neither devotional nor critical, but pleasantly realistic. I saw it with a friend who was a nun and spoke fluent French. I don’t know if it’s available on VHS or DVD.
 
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jbuck919:
She was the most popular female saint in the decades after she died.
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She most likely is still the most popular female saint (after the BVM of course) - can’t think of any that rival her offhand. Though if Mother Teresa gets canonised she may just overtake her.
 
I am sponsoring my younger brother’s confirmation, and most kids at our church take a “Matthew,” “John,” “Paul” or the like. This is all well and good, but I have to admit I smiled when my brother told me he had chosen “Pius X” 😃

PS- He’s in no way SSPX. He just likes that Holy Father.
 
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