Picking a Saint

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I am going through RCIA now - and have had a WONDERFUL set of instructors and am very happy about my training in and introduction to the Catholich Church so far! They have turned me from a woman who, while interested, had a very large amount of skepticism about the Church - into someone who is such a believer and SO excited about joining now!

There is only one spot that I have found lacking in my education. We have been told that we have to pick a Saint before Easter. That’s all that was said about it and it hasn’t been brought up since.

I have no idea for what reason we do this, what role it plays in the Rite of Initiation & our life, or on what basis to choose one!

I have also been told that we need to pick a Confirmation name. Again - I’m completely lost on this as well. For what reason/symbology - and how do I go about choosing an appropriate name? Are their guidelines?

Since my sponser is a cradle Catholic she admits that this is something she’s never really thought about (therefore understood) the reasons behind because it was always natural to her.

If someone could help me out or point me in the right direction (and hopefully quickly as Easter is almost here - Yay!) then I would be EVER so grateful to you! Any addititional tidbits or interesting/lesser known facts about the Sacraments I will be going through would be welcomed as well!

One last thing - and this may sound dense! But what do I wear that day? I know babies where christening gowns when their baptized, and I’ve seen tons of prettly little girls in their white dresses for their first communion - but is there a guidline/protocol on what an adult in RCIA should wear?? May sound shallow - but I don’t want to be disrespectful.
 
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Phoenix8099:
I am going through RCIA now - and have had a WONDERFUL set of instructors and am very happy about my training in and introduction to the Catholich Church so far! They have turned me from a woman who, while interested, had a very large amount of skepticism about the Church - into someone who is such a believer and SO excited about joining now!

There is only one spot that I have found lacking in my education. We have been told that we have to pick a Saint before Easter. That’s all that was said about it and it hasn’t been brought up since.

I have no idea for what reason we do this, what role it plays in the Rite of Initiation & our life, or on what basis to choose one!

I have also been told that we need to pick a Confirmation name. Again - I’m completely lost on this as well. For what reason/symbology - and how do I go about choosing an appropriate name? Are their guidelines?

Since my sponser is a cradle Catholic she admits that this is something she’s never really thought about (therefore understood) the reasons behind because it was always natural to her.

If someone could help me out or point me in the right direction (and hopefully quickly as Easter is almost here - Yay!) then I would be EVER so grateful to you! Any addititional tidbits or interesting/lesser known facts about the Sacraments I will be going through would be welcomed as well!

One last thing - and this may sound dense! But what do I wear that day? I know babies where christening gowns when their baptized, and I’ve seen tons of prettly little girls in their white dresses for their first communion - but is there a guidline/protocol on what an adult in RCIA should wear?? May sound shallow - but I don’t want to be disrespectful.
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The confirmation names has to do with a change in your life. The Catholic encyclopedia relates it to the changing of names of those entering a religious order. Like it uses a man from the 8th century, Winfrith, who was given the name Boniface. The saint you choose has to do with this. You can choose any saint you want. There is no criteria to choose from I don’t think, just who you find to be an inspiring saint to you. Here is an article from the Catholic encyclopedia that deals with it.

newadvent.org/cathen/10673c.htm

You don’t have to dress any particular way I don’t think, just dress nicely and respectfully of Christ.
 
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Phoenix8099:
There is only one spot that I have found lacking in my education. We have been told that we have to pick a Saint before Easter. That’s all that was said about it and it hasn’t been brought up since.
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You are lucky! We did not get to do this – although I secretly did – and selected Naaman the Leper, who was healed by Elisha in the Old Testament (OT people are “saints” also: a Jewish woman I know took the name of “Elijah”) – and if you’re a woman, you can choose a male saint or vice versa. It should be someone whom you can relate to spiritually. You take that person as a special spiritual friend and protector.
One last thing - and this may sound dense! But what do I wear that day? . . . is there a guidline/protocol on what an adult in RCIA should wear?? May sound shallow - but I don’t want to be disrespectful.
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What to wear shallow? My DEAR! It is not shallow at ALL! Your costume speaks volumes about what this occasion means and about what it means to you.

Traditionally, confirmands have worn white (although this is no longer a rule). When I was married, I made my own wedding dress out of $15 worth of window curtain material. Confirmed 3 decades later, I wanted to make up for that, and since there was nothing suitable off the rack, I had a dressmaker make a long-sleeved, ivory wool (white, but not too white!) crepe coat dress. I now wear it every Easter and will be buried in it. Whatever you select should be simple and modest (I would advise long sleeves – or at least not short sleeves – and a hem below the knee, although this is certainly no longer de rigeuer). A young friend of mine just got married in an off-the-rack double breasted cream-colored suit: VERY attractive. Again, it doesn’t have to be white. Blue (in honor of Our Lady) is attractive and very serviceable.

One more caution: you are likely to get chrism spilled on yourself if you have a pastor who believes in “amplification of symbols” so find out beforehand if he is going to pour the oil since you’ll have to burn or bury the garment if oil gets on it because the chrism is sacred . . . My pastor got chrism on on my sleeve: fortunately the dressmaker made me a new sleeve and I buried the old one. My classmate got chrism all over her dress . . . . and that was *finis *for the dress.

God bless you.
 
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Phoenix8099:
I am going through RCIA now -

I have no idea for what reason we do this, what role it plays in the Rite of Initiation & our life, or on what basis to choose one!

I have also been told that we need to pick a Confirmation name.
Again - I’m completely lost on this as well. For what reason/symbology - and how do I go about choosing an appropriate name? Are their guidelines?

One last thing - and this may sound dense! But what do I wear that day? I know babies where christening gowns when their baptized, and I’ve seen tons of prettly little girls in their white dresses for their first communion - but is there a guidline/protocol on what an adult in RCIA should wear?? May sound shallow - but I don’t want to be disrespectful.
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You do not indicate if you are a Catecchumen or Candidate. As a baby a patron Saint is usually picked for the childs Baptism. That however is usually not the case for an adult. Since the Church reauires that an adult be Confirmed at the time of Baptism. A Confirmation Saint is picked based on some attraction to the particular life events of that Saint. What they did, how they suffered, what they stood for, etc. It is perfectly Ok to simply use you Christian given name. Locate the Saint by that name (there may be more than one) and read about them. Then pick one of them for Confirmation.

What to wear? If being Baptized, wear something darker, that can become wet. You may have the opportunity to change after the Baptism, maybe not? If so you change into something lighter and should be given a “white garment” This could be a robe, alb, sash?

If already Baptized wear something light and nice (Sunday clothes).
 
catholic.org/saints/patron.php

Here’s another resource I used. It took me awhile to come up with my Saint Name as well. But this site really helped, I loved just sitting and reading through all the lives of these people. Some of them were absolutely amazing stories.
 
I missed it… are you also being baptized? I ask this because in our RCIA class, those being baptized were given robes to wear. I think brown & then white - I guess they change after the baptism? No robes for the rest of us who aren’t being baptized. I bought a new outfit for the occassion but it’s not white (no one suggested that) it’s acatually a black & white floral skirt w/ a black sweater.

As far as the Saint thing goes, I’ve also had a hard time. My favorite Saint is a man so I hope that’s OK - Blessed Miguel Pro. I read his story to my children out of a Book of Saints. I wonder why he has the Blessed in front of his name though… does that mean he isn’t a Saint yet??? Yikes… will have to rethink my Saint name if that’s the case. I also like Juan Diago - he’s the Our Lady of Guadalupe Saint. Does anyone know if women can pick men??
 
carol marie:
I wonder why he has the Blessed in front of his name though… does that mean he isn’t a Saint yet??? Yikes… will have to rethink my Saint name if that’s the case. I also like Juan Diago - he’s the Our Lady of Guadalupe Saint. Does anyone know if women can pick men??
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“Blessed” simply means one step away from canonization as a Saint. That should be OK. As for picking a man’s name, see post #3.
 
So how does that work, is a “Blessed” person eventually going to be a Saint or might they remain only a “Blessed?” And can we say with certainty that a Blessed person is already in heaven??
 
The one I have chose for confirmation is St. Michael…the leader of heavens armies of Angels against Satan and the fallen Angels. His name means, " who is like God"…I love St. Michael.

My second favorite Saint is St. Jude, Jesus’s disciple and near kinsman. His real name is Thaddeus, but everyone knows him as St. Jude. He is the Patron saint of desperate or lost causes.
 
As Catholics we believe in the communion of saints. We even say these words in the Nicene and the Apostle’s Creed. We renew our own baptismal promises during the sacrament of baptism as well as different times of the year including the Easter season. When we select a saint as a patron, and make his name our own, that means we have a special link with that saint in heaven who we can pray to for intercession with God. The more prayers we have bombarding God with praise, thanks or petition, or a mark of repentance, our saint will help us whenever we ask.

As far as the process of canonization of saints, I suggest you check the catholic encyclopedia at www.newadvent.org
Peace and Welcome home to the Catholic faith
 
Go to a catholic store and look at the stautes of the saints one of them might speak to you.

Another way is to pick up the Butler’s lives of the saints and do some reading.

IF nothing clicks try one of the archangels or the apostles or one of the Mary’s or Joseph you really can’t loose there.
 
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