Confirmation name

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I am wondering how people choose their confirmation names. Unfortunately, I didn’t take it seriously at the time and picked a name from the index of a book about the saints. Pope St Zachary I
How did you choose your confirmation name? Does it hold special significance in your life?
 
When I was confirmed, around 1974, we weren’t allowed to choose a name. We had to take the name of our sponser if it was Christian. My name is Agnes because my aunt was my sponser. I don’t remember what was done if your sponser had an inappropriate name.
 
St. Cecilia’s was the parish I grew up in (the rectory was our next-door neighbor, that was a hoot!) and she is the patron of musicians, so she is doubly special to me. I tried to consider other Saints, read many of their stories, but there was no other choice to make!

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If there was a box to check that said “Played the Saint in a school play”, I would have checked that one. 😉 When I was in the fifth grade I played St. Elizabeth in a Nativity play - at (gasp!) a PUBLIC school - in California, no less. I was confirmed when I was in the sixth grade, so that about tells you the level of my prayerful discernment at the time. 🙂
 
When I converted, I had been praying to Padre Pio. I felt he guided my every step. I still feel a closeness. I wrote to the Capuchin Monastery in Italy with my story. I was then adopted as a spiritual child of Padre Pio. I go to confession once a month. I carry a small Padre Pio statue with me into the confessional.
 
As an RCIA convert, I never had the opportunity to choose a confirmation name! 😦
 
I was quite young, probably early teens, which I now think is too young. Needless to say as a result I didn’t give it a heck of a lot of thought, though I don’t really know that I’d change it.

I picked St Helena the Empress, mother of the Emperor Constantine. Together they spread Christianity as the Roman State religion. She also found the true Cross of Christ. I always thought that she sounded like a pretty interesting and special woman.

Also made a change from all the Thereses in my class 😛
 
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Linnyo:
As an RCIA convert, I never had the opportunity to choose a confirmation name! 😦
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Linnyo, I’m sorry that happened! Even the adult initiates at our parish last Easter chose patron saints and they were printed in the parish bulletin. I wonder why you did not have the opportunity. You know, there’s nothing keeping you from selecting a patron right now! 🙂

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I chose St. Faustina because I have been drawn to the Divine Mercy almost from day one when I started investigating Catholicism last year. And also, for ten years I lived next to a Polish immigrant family in Baltimore City and the elderly mother used to come over and visit with me in my garden and she talked non stop in Polish (which I didn’t understand a bit) and I’m convinced she was conspiring with St. Faustina to bring me home!

I remember a while back I saw Fr. Corapi on EWTN and his sermon was entitled “His Name is Mercy”. I was hooked.

So, St. Faustina, Thank You!
 
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Linnyo:
As an RCIA convert, I never had the opportunity to choose a confirmation name! 😦
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That’s too bad. I had thought that everyone had a choice of confirmation names. Even if you had to take the name of your sponsor, like the post above, you still can at least choose your sponsor.
 
Nooo! I was confirmed about 5 years ago but I don’t remember taking on a confirmation name!
 
I had a name picked but my mother overrode my decision and chose the name she wanted for me. grrrrr…

I remember sitting in church on confirmation day fuming…i bet i was not in a state of grace to receive the sacrament at that point.
 
St. Cecilia is the patroness of musicians. That was good enough for me! She’s been a great personal patroness. In fact, I served as cantor for the first time at an Evening Mass a few hours after my confirmation. 🙂

Of course, one can adopt any number of unofficial patrons. I’ve adopted St. Albert the Great (patron of scientists) as well.
 
I chose Thomas because
  1. St. Thomas Aquinas is the patron of my parish back home and I’ve always thought he is a smart person to emulate
  2. I can be a doubting Thomas about many things, and it reminds me to build up my faith.
 
Ignatius of Loyola

He was 26 (my age) at the time of his conversion.

He promoted the spiritual ideal of finding God in all things and formed the most significant order of male religious in the counter-reformation and, arguably, in the Church’s history.

Whichever deeds of heroism and obedience he had envisioned through advancement of social status and worldy gain at the age of conversion he dedicated his deeds for the greater glory of God.

Rather than be cloistered in contemplation, he realized that, by finding God in all things, it was necessary to champion the ideal of being a contemplative in action; in service and ministry towards God throughout the world in practice
.
 
I chose Francis (of Assisi) as my confirmation name.

I always found comfort from the little I knew of him and he was a person I wanted to emulate.

Little did I know then how accurate that choice would be in my life.

Just a few years a go I read a few biographies on him and was even more astounded at the kind of man he was and how he was the perfect choice 🙂 Personal parallels to the life events and personality of Francis were glaring to me - I have grown to respect and love him more.
It will be great to talk to him one day 😉

Peace
 
I will enter the Church this Easter :clapping: I have chosen Elizabeth Seton for several reasons.
  1. She was a convert
  2. Her family was not acepting of her conversion but she persevered
  3. She had also lost a child and would understand the pain you feel.
    I hope to learn many things from her and hope to persevere just as she did.
 
I took St. Anne, the mother of Mary, ( my first name), at Confirmation. Since my return to the Church I have chosen St. Josephine Bahkita as my patron saint, because I hope to be more like her. I love all the saints and I love to learn about them. We are most fortunate to have so many of various nations, walks of life and experiences to help us in every need and on our own journey.
 
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Linnyo:
As an RCIA convert, I never had the opportunity to choose a confirmation name! 😦
Click to expand...
I’m a convert (RCIA class of 98) and we did choose, I’ve told the story many times on the board. If you search for St. John the Dwarf on forum, you will find the story of how my Patron found me 🙂

DH was a convert in a different Parish, and he came in 2 years ago - they were also encouraged to choose. DH chose St. John.

DS is being Confirmed this spring, and he is a St. Padre Pio 🙂
 
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FCEGM:
If there was a box to check that said “Played the Saint in a school play”, I would have checked that one. 😉 When I was in the fifth grade I played St. Elizabeth in a Nativity play - at (gasp!) a PUBLIC school - in California, no less. I was confirmed when I was in the sixth grade, so that about tells you the level of my prayerful discernment at the time. 🙂
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No insult intended but it also tells us you haven’t been in fifth grade in quite awhile. You might get thrown out of school for even mentioning having a play with religious overtones now. 😦
I didn’t know that you had to use a saint when I was confirmed, I chose Nathan (David’s prophet). I didn’t think that he would help me see the future, but I hoped he would help me see things clearly. 🙂
 
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