Is there a St. Allen?

[maryalene]

My youngest son is named after my dad, and his middle name is Allen.

I could have sworn when he was born that I found a St. Allen in a list of saints. However, now I can’t find him mentioned anywhere. I’ve searched online and found references to the feast day of St. Allen being on Rogation Sunday and a couple parishes named St. Alan. It also appears that a region of Cornwell is called St. Allen. But I can’t find anything about the saint himself. Does anyone know anything about him?

For a school Mass on April 25th, a Rogation Day, they are doing a special procession with a litany of the saints. All the school families are asked to submit the names of their patrons to include in the litany. I am not sure if I should put Allen on our list or not. Help!

 

[ibkc]

My youngest son is named after my dad, and his middle name is Allen.

I could have sworn when he was born that I found a St. Allen in a list of saints. However, now I can’t find him mentioned anywhere. I’ve searched online and found references to the feast day of St. Allen being on Rogation Sunday and a couple parishes named St. Alan. It also appears that a region of Cornwell is called St. Allen. But I can’t find anything about the saint himself. Does anyone know anything about him?

As far as I can tell, Allen in this case may be an Anglicization of Elian. Click on “Allen” on this page, and Elian is what you get. According these sources, he was possibly a Breton who worked as a missionary in Cornwall, so this sounds like your guy.

 

[saylo]

I’m confused on the spelling…Alan?

If memory serves The Blessed Mother directed St. Alan/Allan on the rosary litany of prayers.

In those days the rosary was said and kept track by having two small hand-held boxes; one empty and the other filled with 50 small pebbles which represented the Hail Mary and five larger ones representing the “Our Father.”

As the people praying they kept track by dropping a pebble into the other box as they went along.

Later, I believe it was St. Dominic who was shown the rosary as we know it today…as beads in a circular link.

 

[maryalene]

My son’s middle name is spelled Allen, but I was searching under other spellings as well such as Alan. I did find Blessed Alan de la Roche who had visions on Jesus and Our Lady and is credited with restoring devotion to the rosary, but I am not sure if a Blessed can be included in the Litany of the Saints.

ibkc, I missed St. Allan/Elain so thanks for the links! Now that bring me to the question of can I submit St. Allan as the name or should I use St. Elain? Who knew compiling a list of patrons would be so involved, lol!

 

[ibkc]

ibkc, I missed St. Allan/Elain so thanks for the links! Now that bring me to the question of can I submit St. Allan as the name or should I use St. Elain? Who knew compiling a list of patrons would be so involved, lol!

Since it is apparently a legitimate variation, and “Allen” appears in at least some of the saint lists, I would personally go ahead and use it, but that’s just one person’s opinion!

 

[Andruschak]

My youngest son is named after my dad, and his middle name is Allen.

I could have sworn when he was born that I found a St. Allen in a list of saints. However, now I can’t find him mentioned anywhere. I’ve searched online and found references to the feast day of St. Allen being on Rogation Sunday and a couple parishes named St. Alan. It also appears that a region of Cornwell is called St. Allen. But I can’t find anything about the saint himself. Does anyone know anything about him?

For a school Mass on April 25th, a Rogation Day, they are doing a special procession with a litany of the saints. All the school families are asked to submit the names of their patrons to include in the litany. I am not sure if I should put Allen on our list or not. Help!

Well, found a Blessed Alan…

catholic.org/saints/saint.php?saint_id=482

Had something to do with Rosary devotions

 

[Elizabeth_Henni]

YES! Blessed Alan was canonized sometime before or during th 1960’s. He also known under the following names: Alanus de Rupe, Alain de la Roche, Allen, Allan, Elian and Alan. “de Rupe” and “de la Roche” mean “of the Rock” in latin and french, respectively.

St. Alan is responsible for us having the Most Holy Rosary to this day.

 

[barbirolliX]

I worked in an RC school for 10 years and, as you do, looked up my (real) name in one of those “lives of the saints” books. St Allen was there, but discouragingly it simply said “Nothing known”!

 

[thistle]

This thread is several years old. We are not to resurrect old threads.