How to choose a Saint? Please help!

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Good Morning everyone. I am currently in the RCIA program. My family was never big on church however I ALWAYS enjoyed learning about Jesus and Religion. I started going to Mass with my Husband. I decided to become Catholic and joined the RCIA program. We have to choose a Saint and I am not sure where to start. I am taking this very serious. I keep leaning towards St. Mary Magdalene. I feel so much connection to St. Mary Magdalene because I have sinned and have undoubtedly felt sorrow. Can someone please give me ideas on how to choose a saint?

Thanks you,
 
there are books you can get that will help you decide on a saint, or you can try a saint generator like jenniferfulwiler.com website. that’s kind of fun to use.
Catholic Online has a saint website and you can sign up for the Saint of the Day to your email address. you still have plenty of time to look.

Best thing is to pray about it and ask your patron saint to reveal himself/herself to you. St. Gemma found me, St. Peter has helped me, and St. Helen is a new one for me that the Saint generator website gave me after praying for a particular situation. she is a patron saint for what i was praying about. 👍
 
You choose a saint by delving into them.
Go to catholic.org/saints/, there’s a myriad of saints there… If one specific saint seems to appeal to you, dig a little deeper.

Father Robert Barron suggests that you might pick a saint you is similar to your own lifestyle… A mother and Teacher (Elizabeth Ann Seton), attracted to the mystics… Teresa of Avila, John of the Cross or Padre Pio, devoted mother and wife, Saint Rita… etc. etc.

I like the saints that have their own words available to me, such as Catherine of Sienna or Teresa of Avila or the Little Flower, St. therese of Lisieux. I know that reading their actual words is much more illuminating and amazing.

However, my own patron/name said is Saint Anne, mother of the Blessed Virgin. Originally it was because my priest noted my middle name was Anne, and that would be a good patron. That simple statement ended up being the best choice for me without any research or investigation at all.

There’s a ton of Saint books out there as well, Modern Saints (there’s two books of them) by Ann Ball has great descriptions and stories. From there you can investigate the particular saint by his/her writings, if available.

Bless your journey together towards Truth, Light and Easter!
 
Mine, St. Teresa of Avila, chose me. I traveled to Spain a year or so before my decision to enter the Church and while there saw a painting of her in a beautiful cathedral. I was so drawn to her and asked one of my travel companions, Fr. Al, to tell me about her. Over the next year I could never quite get her out of my mind because she would show up at the oddest times, on line or in articles or whatever. I finally bought a biography of her and that sealed the deal.
 
I particularly liked one saint’s writings, then I found out that he is the patron saint of *several *of my interests, *and *even had to struggle with the same major fault as me!!!

If you are drawn to St Mary Magdalene more than you other repentant sinners like St Augustine, then look more into her while you “meet” other saints.
 
jmerae00 said:
Good Morning everyone. I am currently in the RCIA program. My family was never big on church however I ALWAYS enjoyed learning about Jesus and Religion. I started going to Mass with my Husband. I decided to become Catholic and joined the RCIA program. We have to choose a Saint and I am not sure where to start. I am taking this very serious. I keep leaning towards St. Mary Magdalene. I feel so much connection to St. Mary Magdalene because I have sinned and have undoubtedly felt sorrow. Can someone please give me ideas on how to choose a saint?

Thanks you,
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Try going to your local Catholic bookstore and check out the books on the lives of the Saints. It will help you choose the one for you.
 
I am in RCIA too. I chose St. John the Apostle. The Gospel, Epistles, Revelation, the beloved disciple etc.
 
I have been thinking about this for a while and particularly reading a lot online tonight, although it’s not been mentioned yet by our priest - but I like to be prepared!

I feel drawn to (and inspired by) a modern Saint, Saint Edith Stein, who was a remarkable woman. I’m charging up the Kindle and am going to buy some books about her/by her.
 
My saint chose me also. Our confirmation class (at age 14) consisted (as I remember) of planning a ski trip, and very little about the sacrament. I read a book of saints (the yellow cover with pictures?), and picked out a few to consider. My mother was pushing me towards Sts. Cecelia, Anne, Teresa of Avila…but for some reason I was compelled towards St. Dymphna. I liked her name because it was different and beautiful. My mom was embarrassed by her story, and was worried that in our tiny parish (50 people or less) people would think I was trying to say something about my own father, or about the patronage of St. Dymphna.

Many years later, I suffered from mental illness and depression, and I found out my own birthfather did as well (whom I didn’t meet until I was 27). St. Dymphna and the Holy Spirit provided for me better than I could have provided for myself. It was His Way of showing me that He was there for me even when I didn’t realize it, and didn’t know who or what I would need in the future.

I consider Sts. Cecelia, Anne, Teresa of Avila and a few others ‘my’ saints as well.

Choose the one you feel most drawn to. Not everyone has a ‘dramatic’ experience with their confirmation saint, but there is still a reason.

Welcome to the Church!
 
There is one question I’d ask in this area. Can you pick a blessed for your confirmation patron? The RCIA folks at my old parish couldn’t answer that. My solution was to split the difference and I picked both St. Jude and Blessed Bartholomew Longo.

Bartho Longo won me over because his story terrified me! His name was stuck in my head for weeks. The idea of him going back to his own coven of satanists armed only with a Miraculous medal and his rosary to preach Christ to them was what did it! I thought I could never do that, but I wanted that courage to do so. 🙂 St. Jude, of course is patron of the Impossible, and I felt there was some of that going on in my conversion. I was a hard core neo-pagan who’d even made an oath I’d never turn away from paganism!

It has been a number of years since my Confirmation now, but I thought I would like this question answered, since I can’t be the only one to struggle with it!
 
jmerae00 said:
Good Morning everyone. I am currently in the RCIA program. My family was never big on church however I ALWAYS enjoyed learning about Jesus and Religion. I started going to Mass with my Husband. I decided to become Catholic and joined the RCIA program. We have to choose a Saint and I am not sure where to start. I am taking this very serious. I keep leaning towards St. Mary Magdalene. I feel so much connection to St. Mary Magdalene because I have sinned and have undoubtedly felt sorrow. Can someone please give me ideas on how to choose a saint?

Thanks you,
Click to expand...
Next time in your evening prayers, offer up a petition to St. Mary Magdalene and ask for her intercession. Also petition our Blessed Mother and ask her to help guide you to finding a great patron Saint. I can tell you, I chose St. Joseph as my Confirmation saint. I found myself drawn to him from the beginning of my studies of the New Testament. He’s also the Patron and Protector of the Universal Catholic Church. I also have grown to love and also personally chose as another patron for myself, St. Jude Tadeo. My family also has San Martin de Porres as their patron saint. So you see, you don’t just have to pick one Saint to consecrate yourself too. Yes you pick one for your confirmation, but I find myself consecrated to St. Joseph, St. Jude, and la Virgen de Guadalupe as my patron team!

Welcome home!

👍
 
Also, just as a interesting side note, St. Mary Madgdalene is the Patroness of the Diocese of Salt Lake City.
 
jtkalehua88 said:
So you see, you don’t just have to pick one Saint to consecrate yourself too. Yes you pick one for your confirmation, but I find myself consecrated to St. Joseph, St. Jude, and la Virgen de Guadalupe as my patron team!

Welcome home!

👍
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For my confirmation I chose St Ursula because I had seen a picture of her with a purple cloak and it appealed to me. Years later Saint Anthony of Padua chose me and continues to work miracles in my life day by day. ‘’ A priest I had never met even sent me a relic which I carry to this day.

So, I echo others here who have said that your particular saint will find you. And it may just well be St. Mary Magdalene.
 
I believe my saint, St. Terese of Liseaux, picked me because her name was popping up like a garden of daisies everytime I went to church.
 
DorthyBlueBird said:
There is one question I’d ask in this area. Can you pick a blessed for your confirmation patron?
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Yes. 🙂

You can read about this in a document entitled On the Sacrament of Confirmation:
*
42. According to the custom of the Church, those to be confirmed may take another Christian name (“Confirmation name”) at the time they receive this sacrament. The name must be that of a biblical, beatified or canonized person, as recognized by the Church. *
 
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