How does one choose a patron saint?

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Rhuarc

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I was wondering how I choose my patron saint. I am a convert who was baptized this year and RCIA never went over how to choose one. Once I have chosen one is there a ritual or consecration that I do? My name is Brandon so the closest saint to my name is saint Brendan that did the whole sailing to England thing. However I do not quite identify with him so now I am wading in open water. I thought about saint Thomas More but he doesn’t quite fit well either, also thought/thinking about Therese of the child Jesus which she sounds appealing but doesn’t seem like an exact fit.

If only a saint would tap me over the shoulder while I said my almost daily Rosary.

:hmmm:
 
Also is it a “They choose you” or a “You choose them” kind of situation?
 
Sometimes I think we feel drawn to certain saints and that we necessarily choose them. When I “chose” my patron saint/confirmation name St. Joan of Arc, I did so for several reason:

  1. *]I have always been fascinated by her.
    *]I was required to research her for confirmation and to know why she was canonized a saint.
    *]I admire her for her faith and courage in the face of adversity.

    Well, if the saints you have looked into so far do not seem to be quite the right fit, I would consider looking into other saints or researching more about the saints that have struck you so far.

    I also have some suggestions for saints you should consider in your search. 🙂

    St. Michael the Archangel
    St. Thomas Aquinas
    St. John Bosco

    Just a few different saints to check out to see if they strike you at all. God bless! 🙂
 
findingmyself08 said:
Sometimes I think we feel drawn to certain saints and that we necessarily choose them. When I “chose” my patron saint/confirmation name St. Joan of Arc, I did so for several reason:

  1. *]I have always been fascinated by her.
    *]I was required to research her for confirmation and to know why she was canonized a saint.
    *]I admire her for her faith and courage in the face of adversity.

    Well, if the saints you have looked into so far do not seem to be quite the right fit, I would consider looking into other saints or researching more about the saints that have struck you so far.

    I also have some suggestions for saints you should consider in your search. 🙂

    St. Michael the Archangel
    St. Thomas Aquinas
    St. John Bosco

    Just a few different saints to check out to see if they strike you at all. God bless! 🙂
Click to expand...

  1. The first two strike a flame in me. I like Michael because of his boldness and speaking out even though he was low in rank, something that I could see myself doing. Aquinas I like because he is intellectual and yet he is able to have spiritual experience’s and not let his “logic” cloud it by over analyzing things.

    I think that it would help if I took time to look at myself and gain a better understanding of who I am in relation to God. At 17 there is a lot to learn about the world and myself. At my baptism my sponsor gave me a st. Michael archa. medal. I didn’t give much thought to how person it could be to me but now that you mention it (Michael) I am going to start wearing it more often!

    Thanks for your advice friend!
 
There is a similar thread to this one where I posted that the advice that was given to me was that this kind of thing is more about something that happens to you, rather than something you “do” on your own.

For me, the experience was more like making a friend. If you wanted a friendship, you wouldn’t start by assigning a stranger the title “friend” and then set about creating a relationship with them. Rather, you start to have a relationship with someone because you’re drawn to them, then you realize they’ve become your friend.

Don’t feel pressured about it. My advice would be to pray about it, and be open and let yourself be drawn in the direction God wants you to go.
 
Rhuarc said:
The first two strike a flame in me. I like Michael because of his boldness and speaking out even though he was low in rank, something that I could see myself doing. Aquinas I like because he is intellectual and yet he is able to have spiritual experience’s and not let his “logic” cloud it by over analyzing things.

I think that it would help if I took time to look at myself and gain a better understanding of who I am in relation to God. At 17 there is a lot to learn about the world and myself. At my baptism my sponsor gave me a st. Michael archa. medal. I didn’t give much thought to how person it could be to me but now that you mention it (Michael) I am going to start wearing it more often!

Thanks for your advice friend!
Click to expand...
Glad I could help! God bless! 🙂
 
Rhuarc said:
I was wondering how I choose my patron saint. I am a convert who was baptized this year and RCIA never went over how to choose one. Once I have chosen one is there a ritual or consecration that I do? My name is Brandon so the closest saint to my name is saint Brendan that did the whole sailing to England thing. However I do not quite identify with him so now I am wading in open water. I thought about saint Thomas More but he doesn’t quite fit well either, also thought/thinking about Therese of the child Jesus which she sounds appealing but doesn’t seem like an exact fit.

If only a saint would tap me over the shoulder while I said my almost daily Rosary.

:hmmm:
Click to expand...
Rhuarc,

I shared your delimma, when I converted I didn’t take a confirmation name. As my faith grew I was drawn to the English martyrs and later took St Thomas Garnett a martyr priest executed on my birthday. My advise is to study your new faith and as happened with me a saint will present him/herself to you.

Keep your birthday, baptismal day and confirmation day in view. Another is to take a confirmation name/patron saint name from someone special in your life, my daughter took her grandmother’s name/patron saint as did the chief rabbi of Rome when he converted he took Eugenio for pope Pius XII.
 
It is idolatry to pray to Mary or to anyone else besides to the Father in Jesus’ name. I don’t care what you call these people who have passed on, it is still idolatry. The believers in Jesus in the NT never prayed to anyone who passed on.
 
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