Question about Finding your patron saint (or being found)

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I hope this is in the right spot…
I was talking with another woman today,and she was never given a Saint’s name as a given name, nor was she asked to choose a Confirmation name when she entered the Church.
I was wondering why, and how are you given one?
She is very shy, and does not want to ask…
 
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You really can just pick a saint who perhaps you connect with in some way. Read their histories, causes, etc.
 
See for me I am shy at times, Quiet, but can be out spoken… I have no idea for me
 
I had no idea I was going to be asked for a patron saint at my confirmation. Born Catholic. No catechisis. RCIA… Justin Martyr was the first name to pop in my mind. My priest was like, “Uh… you know he was martyred?”

I’m like, “I guess.”
 
When I was confirmed in 1990, I picked Frances, for Francis of Assisi. If I had it to do over again, I’d pick St. Thérèse of Lisieux. Can I switch?
 
GLOW said:
she was never given a Saint’s name as a given name, nor was she asked to choose a Confirmation name
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I was not brought up in a family where one might learn a lot of basics. When I got to confirmation, I knew very little about saints. I was asked to choose a name, but only a week before the celebration. There was no internet at the time, and I had no clue how to figure out what I should do. I was too embarrassed to ask for help, or tell anyone I did not know what to do.

Our Confirmation teacher covered the chalkboard with names of saints, and I had not heard of most of them. I just picked one out of the blue because I was told I had to do so. Fortunately, God was merciful in my ignorance and guided me into what I most needed.
 
njlisa said:
When I was confirmed in 1990, I picked Frances, for Francis of Assisi. If I had it to do over again, I’d pick St. Thérèse of Lisieux. Can I switch?
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I recommend you keep your original and just add St. Therese to your life as a second patron saint.

You can have as many patron saints as you like. I have about 10 of them. But I kept my original confirmation saint and she turned out to play a big part in my life that I never could have planned and despite my thinking she was sort of a wrong pick for 4 decades till all of a sudden she showed up in a big way.
 
njlisa said:
When I was confirmed in 1990, I picked Frances, for Francis of Assisi. If I had it to do over again, I’d pick St. Thérèse of Lisieux. Can I switch?
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I don’t think you are “stuck” with just one Saint. My catechesis didn’t lead me to believe this anyway.
 
njlisa said:
f I had it to do over again, I’d pick St. Thérèse of Lisieux. Can I switch?
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I think she chose me! But I knew nothing about her until after the fact. You don’t need to “switch” as there is no limit to how many saints with whom you can develop a relationship.

Always ask for the prayers of St. Francis, as there is a reason you chose this, but you can also adopt, or be adopted by, St. Therese.
 
You aren’t. Using myself as an example, St. Bernard of Clairvaux is my confirmation Saint (read up on him)! But I greatly admire St. Joan of Arc and view her as my patron Saint (I attribute my lack of great trouble before my conversion to her). I’m in the Angelic Warfare Confraternity, so St. Thomas Aquinas is also one of my patron Saints. As a lay Dominican (in formation), I’m a spiritual child of St. Dominic. There are two Saints I’m thinking about whose names I’ll take on for my religious name, so they too will be with me. And as the best for last, as someone consecrated to Our Lady, she is one of my patrons as well (the best)!
 
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GLOW said:
See for me I am shy at times, Quiet, but can be out spoken… I have no idea for me
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How about St. Louise de Marillac? She was very shy, but by God’s grace became one of the founders of the Daughters/Sisters of Charity.
 
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Choosing a confirmation name is a tradition in some places and not in others. The only time the name is used officially is during the rite itself.

Choosing patron saints, however, is not limited to confirmation. I have a number of saints that I look up to,.and want to emulate. They range from my baptismal saint to the patron for my profession to St. Anthony when I’ve lost something to Mother Cabrini. (Living in an urban area, she understands the need for parking spaces and responds to the prayer “Mother Cabrini, Mother Cabrini, help find a spot for my little machiney.”) There are many others as well.

We can never have too many friends in heaven.
 
I felt drawn to St. Stephen, among others ( also to King David of the old testament, and St. Paul). It was because of the way St. Stephen died, being stoned to death, and forgiving those who stoned him in the moment they did that… He spoke words similar to Jesus on the cross.

I looked up about him and it said he is the patron saint of brick layers, casket makers and deacons, etc. So I thought maybe it wasn’t appropriate for me that he be my patron saint.

Recently I used this online saint’s name generator ( [http://saintsnamegenerator.com] ) prayed and got the Blessed Virgin Mary. Is that ok to do?
 
Tis_Bearself said:
I recommend you keep your original and just add St. Therese to your life as a second patron saint.

You can have as many patron saints as you like. I have about 10 of them. But I kept my original confirmation saint and she turned out to play a big part in my life that I never could have planned and despite my thinking she was sort of a wrong pick for 4 decades till all of a sudden she showed up in a big way.
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@Tis_Bearself, that’s a great idea. I read “Story of a Soul” a few years ago, and it really helped my faith. I credit Fr. John Clarke’s unexpurgated translation for letting the real Thérèse shine through.

I’m really drawn to St. Anthony of Padua. I recently read a biography that drew exclusively from 13th century records. It stripped away all the legends and let me see the real saint. What an amazing holy man!
 
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