Patron Saints & Confirmation (Please Help)

[St.Curious]

I was wondering if anyone could explain to me to deal with choosing a patron saint for confirmation (when going through RCIA) and whether or not you actually do this, etc.

Is it okay for a guy to pick a female saint?

Do you make it part of your “christian name”?

etc.

 

[LSK]

It was the custom when I was young and being confirmed. I, for instance, picked St. Cecilia because she is the patron saint of music. I acted as a sponsor for my adult cousin and she was not required to pick a saint’s name for her confirmation name. We need to ask Father Serpa!

 

[puzzleannie]

this same question was just answered on the AAA forum in the last couple of days. it is not required to choose a new saint’s name (unless one’s given name is really pagan in nature, as might be in some mission territories). If you are being baptized, you may wish to choose a saint’s name, but it would not become your legal name unless you went through the civil court process to change your name. If you are being confirmed, the practice now is to encourage you to keep your baptismal saint’s name, but you are free to choose another saint, either mail or female, as a patron. Again, this would not change your legal name, and would not appear on the sacramental record of your church.

we have in the parish office a Dictionary of Saint Names from OSV which finds a saint, male or female, for even the most unlikely names. I have never had a candidate for whom I could not find a saint to match their name. there are also numerous websites for saints which I use to print out the life of the patron saints of the candidates and catechumens, and we use them during their RCIA retreat to ask their saints to pray for them at this time and be their guides and patrons.

 

[St.Curious]

Thanks for the information you two. I really appreciate it.

Puzzleannie: could you look up a patron saint for me? My name is Bryan Fischer. It would be so awesome if you would.

At the moment I’m leaning towards St. Lucy of Syracuse, love her story and what it says to me about being stubborn against attackers of faith and defining at ones moment of death.

 

[Chatter163]

If you are being confirmed, the practice now is to encourage you to keep your baptismal saint’s name, but you are free to choose another saint, either mail or female, as a patron. Again, this would not change your legal name, and would not appear on the sacramental record of your church.

I have lived in three dioceses and in each of them, one’s chosen confirmation name is listed on the confirmation certificate, along with one’s given name.

 

[proudnifi]

You may also want to check on your diocese’s rules regarding name derivatives. When I was confirmed (8th grade, 1990), we were told that girl’s should choose a girl’s name and boy’s should choose a boy, but I think that probably varies from place to place. Also, we were told that derivatives (like, Mariah for Mary) were not allowed. They did suggest taking our baptismal names.

I was naughty and chose Bernadine (my mom’s favorite aunt’s name) for St. Bernadette (a personal favorite). Either no one noticed or no one stopped me. This was not my baptismal name; I figured I could use all the help I could get and wanted another patron. lol

 

[Thomas_More_1]

proudnifi: that sounds awful strict!

My given name is non-Christian, so I chose a baptismal name and a confirmation name when I entered the Church. The more patrons, the better!

My baptismal name is Joseph, after the foster-father of Our Lord and the most chaste spouse of Our Lady.

My confirmation name is Thomas More. He’s awesome.

 

[BK80734]

Check with your priest, of course, but I wouldn’t expect him to be against choosing a female patron as a male. Our daughter has a male patron (her baptismal name is Eva Majella after St. Gerard Majella). It is more important to have a desire to know about the saint and learn about the saint than to pick a particular patron.

I went through RCIA as well, and I didn’t even think about looking into male saints, but looking back now, I would have liked to learn more then. But then again, I am learning now!

-Lori (stealing her husband’s username…)

 

[axolotl]

St.Curious:

Thanks for the information you two. I really appreciate it.

Puzzleannie: could you look up a patron saint for me? My name is Bryan Fischer. It would be so awesome if you would.

At the moment I’m leaning towards St. Lucy of Syracuse, love her story and what it says to me about being stubborn against attackers of faith and defining at ones moment of death.

There is a St. John Fisher. He was beheaded by Henry VIII for refusing to take the oath of succession, which would acknowledge that Henry’s children with Anne were the heirs.

If you really like Lucy, you could masculinize it, such as Lucas, Lucien. If you say Luke, people think evangalist.

As for Brian, there is a St. Brian:

Saint Alexander Briant was an English Jesuit whom people called “the beautiful youth” because of his handsome looks and purity of heart. When he was martyred, he felt no pain during the tortures. He said: “Whether this that I say be miraculous or no, God knows.” He was 25 when he died.

I chose Rose for my confirmation name. My profile should tell you why.

 

[Patrick2340]

I chose St. Isidore the Farmer as my patron saint at Confirmation. I did this because:

1. 
   *]my grandfather was my sponsor, and his name was Isidore
   *]my grandfather was a simple man who worked very hard (sometimes three jobs) to provide for his children
   *]St. Isidore reminds us that there are saints who practiced simple devotion as well as saints who were accomplished theologians

 

[puzzleannie]

St.Curious:

Thanks for the information you two. I really appreciate it.

Puzzleannie: could you look up a patron saint for me? My name is Bryan Fischer. It would be so awesome if you would.

At the moment I’m leaning towards St. Lucy of Syracuse, love her story and what it says to me about being stubborn against attackers of faith and defining at ones moment of death.

there is a St Brian, go online to any of the saint websites and look him up, I don’t have my reference books at home, and i am not on-line at work. americancatholic.com (or maybe .org, I forget) has a great saints link, but is only one of many.