My church, "St. William", is not named after the real St. William but after an Archbishop who's first name was "William". How is this possible?

[KimberlyCat]

I have been attending a church for the past few months and have fallen in love with it. I even attend Daily Mass almost everyday. I’m not Catholic but I’m going to start RCIA this September. This morning I was reading the history of the church on their website and was shocked to discover that the church “St. William Catholic Church” is not named after Saint William but after an Archbishop who’s first name was “William”. The Catholic Church Extension Society funded land and money for the building of the church in 1939. They said they would donate the money on one condition…that the church would be named “St. William” who was head of the society. This Archbishop served in a diocese 200 miles away from this church BTW. The people who actually started the church wanted it to be named “Sacred Heart”. They did not like the name “St. William” but relented when they realized their church would be a reality. They desperately needed a church because it was rapidly growing. Previously they were celebrating Mass in people’s homes and priests from the local diocese would take turns every Sunday.

How is this possible? I feel like this church is a fraud. It’s a HUGE church…one of the biggest in the city.

 

[Chatter163]

It is likely that the church is formally and officially dedicated to THE St. William, but was named that because of the devotion that a bishop named William had to his patron saint of the same name.

The same thing exists in many places. In the Archdiocese of Miami, there is a St. Coleman parish in Pompano, canonically erected by Bishop Coleman Carroll in 1958. St. Coleman was a bishop from Cloyne, Ireland in the sixth century, who became a Catholic at age fifty and was baptized by St. Brendan. Obviously, had the Bishop of Miami not been Coleman Carroll, it is extremely unlikely that there would be a St. Coleman parish in that archdiocese. But the parish is dedicated to St. Coleman, not Coleman Carroll, even though there is no great mystery as to how it got its name. (Ironically, there is an Archbishop Coleman Caroll High School in the diocese, named for the departed archbishop, and not for St. Coleman.) Not to worry…

 

[1ke]

This morning I was reading the history of the church on their website and was shocked to discover9 that the church “St. William Catholic Church” is not named after Saint William but after an Archbishop who’s first name was “William”.

You have misunderstood the history page you read. The Church is indeed St. William. And it says it was named St. William in honor of the archbishop. It is indeed named after THE St. William, and so is the archbishop.

St. William was chosen the patron of the church because he is also the patronal saint of the archbishop.

I think are you are extrapolating a meaning that is not there. If the archbishop had been named Snodgrass Jones and there were no St Snodgrass in the Church canon of saints, the church could not have been named “St. Snodgrass”.

The people who actually started the church wanted it to be named “Sacred Heart”.

Not the first or last time that people disagree on what to name a parish.

How is this possible? I feel like this church is a fraud.

The church is not a fraud and basically you are completely overreacting.

Many Churches are named for the patronal saint of a prominent member, a bishop, etc. We have a St. Kilian parish in our diocese, so named in honor of the bishop of that time who was originally from Ireland and himself named after St.Kilian.

I fail to see the problem.

 

[coachdennis]

Whoa!!! Time to chill, dear.

Please read 1ke’s post

If your faith can be threatened by this, you will definitely need some relaxation techniques for RCIA

 

[Allegra]

I agree. The church is probably dedicated to the real St. William, but in honor of the archbishop.

 

[Denise1957]

It looks like Kimberly’s question has been answered, but I can sympathize with the concern, because I can remember my own conversion process before becoming Catholic. Sometimes we can worry about things due to anxiety about becoming Catholic. I think it’s normal for some folks to worry, because becoming a Catholic is big deal, and not to be taken lightly. Chesterton writes about this in his book on conversion, and he uses humor and common sense to describe it.

 

[Contarini]

The most famous example of this is St. Petersburg, which was of course named that in honor of St. Peter, but it wasn’t just a coincidence that Peter was also the name of the emperor at the time

Edwin

 

[Memaw]

It looks like Kimberly’s question has been answered, but I can sympathize with the concern, because I can remember my own conversion process before becoming Catholic. Sometimes we can worry about things due to anxiety about becoming Catholic. I think it’s normal for some folks to worry, because becoming a Catholic is big deal, and not to be taken lightly. Chesterton writes about this in his book on conversion, and he uses humor and common sense to describe it.

I agree 100% and I hope this doesn’t keep Kimberly from asking other questions she may have. I am a lifelong Catholic and I still have some questions. Your right, it is a big deal and not to be taken lightly! Questions need answers and I hope we can charitably give them. Hang in there Kimberly and ask away!!! Prayers for your journey, God Bless. Memaw

 

[KimberlyCat]

It looks like Kimberly’s question has been answered, but I can sympathize with the concern, because I can remember my own conversion process before becoming Catholic. Sometimes we can worry about things due to anxiety about becoming Catholic. I think it’s normal for some folks to worry, because becoming a Catholic is big deal, and not to be taken lightly. Chesterton writes about this in his book on conversion, and he uses humor and common sense to describe it.