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calebms
Guest
I’m going to be confirmed soon (april to be exact) and I have to choose my saint for Confirmation. I’ve been veiwing the saints for an hour now and I decided to come here for help. Anyone got a suggestion?
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SuscipeMeDomine
Guest
It’s hard to suggest someone without knowing anything about you. I know who my favorite saints are, but that doesn’t necessarily mean anything for you.
Why not start with your baptismal saint? He or she has been your patron so far and could very well continue.
If you still want someone else, perhaps you could consider which virtues you’d like to cultivate in your life and find a saint who is a model of those virtues.
Why not start with your baptismal saint? He or she has been your patron so far and could very well continue.
If you still want someone else, perhaps you could consider which virtues you’d like to cultivate in your life and find a saint who is a model of those virtues.
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NPC
Guest
There are so many to choose from! At least you’re putting in the effort to choose wisely - when I was confirmed, aged 12, most in my class just picked a name that we liked!
Could you help us to narrow down the possibilities perhaps? Are there any saints which you feel particularly close to? What about the patron saint of your country, or perhaps there is even a notable local saint from your part of the country? It might be a thought too, if there are any particular sins or temptations which you struggle against, to consider a saint who is frequently invoked to help against such things - similarly, there may be a patron saint related to your particular line of work… So perhaps if you could give us a few more details we could make some suitable suggestions, otherwise we’ll all just be throwing out countless suggestions (though, of course, every saint by the fact that they are a saint, is worthy to be chosen by you!).
By the way, I chose the name Matthew- but there are so many saints that I admire and call upon regularly: St Benedict, St Michael, St Pio, St Therese & the Blessed Mother Mary, of course…and I wouldn’t be Irish if I didn’t mention St Patrick
Could you help us to narrow down the possibilities perhaps? Are there any saints which you feel particularly close to? What about the patron saint of your country, or perhaps there is even a notable local saint from your part of the country? It might be a thought too, if there are any particular sins or temptations which you struggle against, to consider a saint who is frequently invoked to help against such things - similarly, there may be a patron saint related to your particular line of work… So perhaps if you could give us a few more details we could make some suitable suggestions, otherwise we’ll all just be throwing out countless suggestions (though, of course, every saint by the fact that they are a saint, is worthy to be chosen by you!).
By the way, I chose the name Matthew- but there are so many saints that I admire and call upon regularly: St Benedict, St Michael, St Pio, St Therese & the Blessed Mother Mary, of course…and I wouldn’t be Irish if I didn’t mention St Patrick
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calebms
Guest
I think I might go with my baptismal saint, but I think I might go with St. Christopher, but I need to know if he’s really a saint to be used for confirmation, I heard it’s been argued if he is or not a saint, so now I’m stuck at that.
1: Sure, I’m 13, I’m home schooled, I am a server for my parish, I like to do tea-kwon-do, I love to play computer and video games, I like to fight for my beliefs, and I’ve considered (still not sure) joining the seminary to become a preist.
2: St. Chistopher, St. Micheal, and St. Anthoney.
3: Nah, I don’t really think I would choose my country’s saint, that’s a little to easy.
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LegoGE1947
Guest
What about me? I wasn’t brought into communion with the Catholic Church until I was in my 50’s I am 62 now. I was baptised at age 26 in a fundamentalist church where they don’t have any notion of “Patron Saints.” They only baptised adults or children who were old enough to “accept Jesus as personal Savior.” I still don’t know what I am supposed to do, if any thing, about a patron saint. I was wondering if I could have John Paul II as my patron even though he isn’t officially a “Saint” yet? It was in 2002 that I converted and he was quite an influence on my decision to convert because of his documentary movie “The Witness to Hope.”
Could someone advise me? Thank you
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NPC
Guest
It is a very symbolic act for one to take on a new name, though of course you could just keep your baptismal name as SucipeMeDomine said. But confirmation marks a new part of your life - you’re supposed to be mature about your Catholic faith, which I’m sure you are! Scripture has many examples of persons who were given new names to mark their new roles: Abram became Abraham, Simon became Peter, for example.
It probably would be acceptable to take Christopher as your Confirmation name - there certainly was a martyr called Christopher, but there’s very little factual information on his life. Most stories about the saint are legendary. His name was removed from the calendar of feast-days in 1969 (as were others, I think), and this has led to the assumption by some people that he is no longer a saint to be revered by Catholics.
Read what you can about the life of Ss. Anthony and Christopher. Here is an article about St Michael. Maybe consider St John Bosco - patron saint of the youth & St John Berchmans - patron saint of altar servers!
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Cracker_Mom
Guest
I think it’s cool you’re asking the question in light of many parishes now telling parents it’s no longer necessary nor recommended to choose a Confirmation saint.
Thankfully our youngest kids already had 3 saints names from baptism so I let it go but think it’s a shame to discourage such a meaningful tradition.Our older kids loved picking their own saints for Confirmation.
(St. Joseph of Cupertino’s one of my favorites.)
Thankfully our youngest kids already had 3 saints names from baptism so I let it go but think it’s a shame to discourage such a meaningful tradition.Our older kids loved picking their own saints for Confirmation.
(St. Joseph of Cupertino’s one of my favorites.)
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NPC
Guest
I presume you’ve been confirmed? If not, you should ask your priest about that. Although it is traditional in many places to choose another name at confirmation, there is nothing in Canon Law which stipulates that a new name must be taken - Confirmation is a completion of baptismal grace and as such, the baptismal name is sufficient. However, the name has to be a saints name - so as John Paul II is not a canonised saint, you could not choose him as your patron saint. That wouldn’t, however stop you taking the name of Saint John or Saint Paul, or perhaps both (I don’t know if that would be permitted).What about me? I wasn’t brought into communion with the Catholic Church until I was in my 50’s I am 62 now. I was baptised at age 26 in a fundamentalist church where they don’t have any notion of “Patron Saints.” They only baptised adults or children who were old enough to “accept Jesus as personal Savior.” I still don’t know what I am supposed to do, if any thing, about a patron saint. I was wondering if I could have John Paul II as my patron even though he isn’t officially a “Saint” yet? It was in 2002 that I converted and he was quite an influence on my decision to convert because of his documentary movie “The Witness to Hope.”
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calebms
Guest
Thanks for all the help everyone 
, I think I’m going to go with St. Christopher.
, I think I’m going to go with St. Christopher.
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NPC
Guest
You’re right - Pope Saint Eugene died in 657. He was martyred for the Faith, but as you say, there is very little known about him. Given the time he lived, he wouldn’t have been formally canonised by the Church - in the early centuries of the Church, many holy people were proclaimed saints by public acclamation, as is the case of all the early Irish saints. If I remember correctly, it wasn’t until around the tenth or eleventh century that people were formally canonised by the Church… Obviously, don’t let that put you off Pope Saint Eugene - he is recognised by the Church as a saint!My middle name is Eugene and I understand there was an early Pope named Eugene I who is a canonized saint! He was pope around the 500’s AD and not much is known about him but he IS a saint!
Don’t forget that there are other Saints with the name Eugene - it might be good to find out what you can about them too, given that there is so little info on Pope Saint Eugene. There was Saint Eugene of Derry (Ireland) and Saint Eugene of Mazenod (France) who was canonised in 1995 by Pope John Paul II.
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bpbasilphx
Guest
\I think I might go with my baptismal saint, but I think I might go with St. Christopher, but I need to know if he’s really a saint to be used for confirmation, I heard it’s been argued if he is or not a saint, so now I’m stuck at that.\
**St. Christopher STILL is a saint.
He was removed only from the Roman Calendar. He’s STILL on the Calendars of other Churches, both Catholic and Orthodox.
And the very name means “Christ bearer”. Is that not what we are all called to be?**
**St. Christopher STILL is a saint.
He was removed only from the Roman Calendar. He’s STILL on the Calendars of other Churches, both Catholic and Orthodox.
And the very name means “Christ bearer”. Is that not what we are all called to be?**
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Tantum_ergo
Guest
FWIW, St. Catherine of Alexandria was also ‘off the Roman calendar’ back in the late 1960s and she was 're-instated" a couple of years ago right back on November 25th! St. Christopher could have a ‘restoration’ as well. One never knows. . .
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