Choice of confirmation saint

[JoyToTheWhirled]

I am finding myself torn between two Saints. I love St John Paul II, and I’ve always had affection for St Bernadette. With St Bernadette, I read a collection of her letters and was impressed by her humility and love for Christ and His Mother, and ever since I was an atheist young person and first heard of her, was strangely fascinated by the apparition of Our Lady of Lourdes.
But with St JPII, I lived most of my life with him as Pope, read his work and was enormously challenged by his life and death.
Both Saints have been significant to me as I have journeyed towards the Church. As a woman, it feels like it makes more sense to choose St Bernadette. But in all honesty the only reason I wouldn’t choose St JPII is because it feels a bit odd to choose a man.
I know I’m the only one who can really make the decision, but I wondered if anyone had any tips from their experience of choosing, (or even being chosen by!) their confirmation saint?

 

[Maximilian75]

Pray. That’s primarily it.
For me, I was down to Aquinas, Maximilian Kolbe, and Peter. What tipped the scales for me was reading that Kolbe’s name before he entered the Franciscans was Rajmund, which anglicises to Raymond- My name

So, pray, and voraciously read about both of them.

 

[phoage]

Dear Joy,

As you said, your choice but:

I love St Bernadette. I named my daughter for her. She is, to me, an inspiration.

Having said that, you obviously love JPII.

He selected his name in honor of 2 previous popes, John XXIII and Pope Paul (both of Vatican II fame).
Consider a dual name.

I have a priest whose name is John Mary. He is definately male but the name Mary is one he selected. Also, there is a saint, Jose-Maria Escriva who was a priest and very definately male.

Choosing a male Ptron saint should not be an issue. If it is, consider Joanna-Paulina

I hope this is food for thaught.

Patrick
AMDG

 

[chloebelle]

I am also going through the RCIA process and just recently chose my confirmation saint. I was torn between St. Veronica, St. Estelle, and St. Emiliana. I had always thought that I’d choose St. Veronica. I have an extreme attachment to my hometown (perpetually homesick, can’t wait to move back in a few years! :crossed_fingers:t2 and the parish there is named for her. I actually also lived on a street named after her. My hometown is predominantly Catholic and although I wasn’t, being included in parish activities and the way the parish affected the community as a whole were so important to my journey to the church. However, I then read about St. Estelle and her being the patron saint of young Christian women. I am 18 but began this journey when I was about 16, and she also converted as a young girl. My attraction to Emiliana is a strange one. Have you ever had a random word that just popped into your head and when you aren’t concentrating you just kind of absent mindedly say it in your head? I hope someone else knows what I mean Emiliana was always in my head but I never knew it was a saint’s name until I was surfing a Catholic website, and I thought maybe it was meant to be.

I couldn’t make a decision, so I wrote them all on little slips of paper, folded them up, and put them in my pocket. I decided I would pray, and when I got home I’d choose one and that’d be my confirmation name. Well, I got home, said my prayer, and the other 2 pieces of paper were gone. All that was left was Veronica. I took that to be a sign. It can be a long process, but you will find the right name.

 

[JanetF]

My daughter chose a male saint. St. Francis of Assisi, because she liked what he stood for and because it would also honor her grandfather who was named Francis and who died when she was 4 years old.

 

[TheLittleLady]

I chose a male saint, an Eastern one as well Saint John Colobus

 

[JamalChristophr]

Flip a coin.