Patron Saint Questions

[1edyson]

My gf is being received into the Church this Easter, Thank God!, and she is looking for a confirmation name. She has found not a saint, but a some one on the way to canonization and is described is Blessed, can she take her name even though she has not formally been declared as a Saint? FYI it is Bl. Anne Jahouvey TIA

 

[jmcrae]

My gf is being received into the Church this Easter, Thank God!, and she is looking for a confirmation name. She has found not a saint, but a some one on the way to canonization and is described is Blessed, can she take her name even though she has not formally been declared as a Saint? FYI it is Bl. Anne Jahouvey TIA

Yes, since she is reasonably certain that this person is in Heaven and can pray for her. Congratulations to your girlfriend on her Confirmation!

 

[diggerdomer]

My gf is being received into the Church this Easter, Thank God!, and she is looking for a confirmation name. She has found not a saint, but a some one on the way to canonization and is described is Blessed, can she take her name even though she has not formally been declared as a Saint? FYI it is Bl. Anne Jahouvey TIA

Don’t worry too much, it’s not required and not part of the Sacramental celebration, so enjoy the Vigil!

 

[brigid12]

My gf is being received into the Church this Easter, Thank God!, and she is looking for a confirmation name. She has found not a saint, but a some one on the way to canonization and is described is Blessed, can she take her name even though she has not formally been declared as a Saint? FYI it is Bl. Anne Jahouvey TIA

Sure!

 

[jmcrae]

Don’t worry too much, it’s not required and not part of the Sacramental celebration, so enjoy the Vigil!

If a person chooses a Patron Saint, it is, in fact, included in the Sacramental celebration, with the renaming by the Bishop. This is a permanent renaming - it becomes one of your middle names.

I am having the interesting situation where quite a few of my boys are choosing female names for their Patron Saints. I had one boy do it last year (big, huge muscly kid, he took the name “Teresa” - the Bishop nearly choked during the renaming, even though he could have used “Terry” which can be for both. I don’t know what he’s going to do, this year - I’ve got boys choosing names like Catherine, Mary, and Elizabeth - and there’s no gender-neutral way to shorten those ones.)

 

[Rawb]

I don’t know what he’s going to do, this year - I’ve got boys choosing names like Catherine, Mary, and Elizabeth - and there’s no gender-neutral way to shorten those ones.)

Mary, well, Marion is the masculine version of Mary. Elizabeth could go by Eli…

…I got nothin’ for Catherine.

This encourages me though, because it means to me that the boys really admire and are devoted to these saints, and probably take their faith seriously.

Or they’re ‘rebelling’. But the way you talk about them makes me think the first.

 

[diggerdomer]

If a person chooses a Patron Saint, it is, in fact, included in the Sacramental celebration, with the renaming by the Bishop. This is a permanent renaming - it becomes one of your middle names.

I may not have been clear–when I said it wasn’t part of the celebration I meant there’s nothing in the Rite, to my knowledge, about it. Please correct my misunderstanding if this is not so.

A given parish may choose to incorporate a Confirmation name in their celebration, I just meant it’s not part of the Rite (or Catechism, or Canon Law) and so it’s not “required” in that sense.

I’ve never heard anything about it becoming a middle name an dbeing a permanent renaming. This sounds like a local custom/understanding, I’ve really never heard anything quite like that before.

 

[jmcrae]

I may not have been clear–when I said it wasn’t part of the celebration I meant there’s nothing in the Rite, to my knowledge, about it. Please correct my misunderstanding if this is not so.

A given parish may choose to incorporate a Confirmation name in their celebration, I just meant it’s not part of the Rite (or Catechism, or Canon Law) and so it’s not “required” in that sense.

It’s not required, but if someone does choose a Saint’s name, the Bishop uses that name for their Confirmation.

I’ve never heard anything about it becoming a middle name and being a permanent renaming. This sounds like a local custom/understanding, I’ve really never heard anything quite like that before

.

For example, if John David Smith chooses St. Mark for his Patron Saint for Confirmation, his name from that time forward is John David Mark Smith. (And if he chooses St. Catherine, then his name becomes John David Catherine Smith.)

 

[Callixtus]

I think it’s fine - esp. since there are multiple St. Annes. In beatification the Church is saying we believe that person is in heaven, even if they are not yet canonized.

I always figure that if a person chooses a name that more than one saint bore, they get all of them as special patrons!

 

[Chatter163]

It’s not required, but if someone does choose a Saint’s name, the Bishop uses that name for their Confirmation.

.

For example, if John David Smith chooses St. Mark for his Patron Saint for Confirmation, his name from that time forward is John David Mark Smith. (And if he chooses St. Catherine, then his name becomes John David Catherine Smith.)

True. My confirmation name appears on my confirmation certificate.

 

[jmcrae]

If a person chooses a Patron Saint, it is, in fact, included in the Sacramental celebration, with the renaming by the Bishop. This is a permanent renaming - it becomes one of your middle names.

I am having the interesting situation where quite a few of my boys are choosing female names for their Patron Saints. I had one boy do it last year (big, huge muscly kid, he took the name “Teresa” - the Bishop nearly choked during the renaming, even though he could have used “Terry” which can be for both. I don’t know what he’s going to do, this year - I’ve got boys choosing names like Catherine, Mary, and Elizabeth - and there’s no gender-neutral way to shorten those ones.)

UPDATE: The Bishop was sick, so our parish priest did the Confirmations. He said all of the Saint names out loud and clear. (I had a number of girls choosing boys’ names, as well. It was an interesting group of kids to work with.)

 

[Eddie_Mac]

UPDATE: The Bishop was sick, so our parish priest did the Confirmations. He said all of the Saint names out loud and clear. (I had a number of girls choosing boys’ names, as well. It was an interesting group of kids to work with.)

That is funny right there!

It is great too. There have been untold numbers of powerful women saints in the history of the Church and any young man would do well to pattern his life after any of the saints.

In a unique way, this fosters hope for the future Church. I won’t drag tthis off topic in stating why.

Jmcrae, I admire what you are doing, being there for these young adults.

Eddie Mac

 

[francesca_gen]

It’s not required, but if someone does choose a Saint’s name, the Bishop uses that name for their Confirmation.

.

For example, if John David Smith chooses St. Mark for his Patron Saint for Confirmation, his name from that time forward is John David Mark Smith. (And if he chooses St. Catherine, then his name becomes John David Catherine Smith.)

Hmmm. Well, I was confirmed just by my priest, not the bishop, at the Vigil. My confirmation names aren’t on my confirmation certificate – in fact, though we wrote them down, gave them in and dicussed why we had chosen our saints, they are not recorded anywhere. This disappointed me rather a lot. When I legally changed my last name, I did add them to my name, though.

 

[jmcrae]

Hmmm. Well, I was confirmed just by my priest, not the bishop, at the Vigil. My confirmation names aren’t on my confirmation certificate – in fact, though we wrote them down, gave them in and dicussed why we had chosen our saints, they are not recorded anywhere. This disappointed me rather a lot. When I legally changed my last name, I did add them to my name, though.

Soemthing went wrong at the Parish Office - somehow, the secretary was not informed of the names, to put them on the Certificates. It happens, sometimes - unfortunately. (Maybe the parish secretary is not very well-catechized and didn’t know that the Saint names are supposed to go on the Certificates.)

 

[francesca_gen]

Soemthing went wrong at the Parish Office - somehow, the secretary was not informed of the names, to put them on the Certificates. It happens, sometimes - unfortunately. (Maybe the parish secretary is not very well-catechized and didn’t know that the Saint names are supposed to go on the Certificates.)

Actually, the sister who ran the RCIA program told us they wouldn’t be recorded anywhere. Go figure.

 

[TravisandJill]

I wasbaptised and confirmed thisEaster Vigil and there was no mention at all of saint names

 

[diggerdomer]

Actually, the sister who ran the RCIA program told us they wouldn’t be recorded anywhere. Go figure.

No need to go figure, really, I’d simply assume she was just following the RCIA as the Church indicates it should be celebrated without adding anything else.

 

[francesca_gen]

No need to go figure, really, I’d simply assume she was just following the RCIA as the Church indicates it should be celebrated without adding anything else.

I never really looked into whether they should or shouldn’t have used our Confirmation names at the Vigil or on our certificates… I was just disappointed they didn’t!

 

[diggerdomer]

I never really looked into whether they should or shouldn’t have used our Confirmation names at the Vigil or on our certificates… I was just disappointed they didn’t!

ok, thanks, I just read the “go figure” comment as something typically one might say when something doesn’t make sense, as opposed to something one was disappointed in.

Thanks for the clarification.

 

[francesca_gen]

ok, thanks, I just read the “go figure” comment as something typically one might say when something doesn’t make sense, as opposed to something one was disappointed in.

Thanks for the clarification.

Nah, more like a shrug and a “What’re ya gonna do?” (In my case, add 'em in a few years later when changing my last name anyway!)