Taking a New Name Upon Reception

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StacieAdy said:
Okay, sorry for being a bit dense, but can you guys explain this further to me? I have heard of taking a new name at Confirmation, but I have never heard any details about it. I am a Candidate, and will be Confirmed next year. By taking a Saint’s name, will I be known by that name at Church? Is that how I would introduce myself, for instance? Or is it more of a personal thing?

Thank you!

Stacie
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It’s the name you are called by at your Confirmation, but that’s the only official time it’s ever used. It’s also entered into your records at the Church - for example, I took St. Teresa as my Patron Saint, so I was called “Teresa” at my Confirmation, and my Confirmation certificate says “Judith Teresa McRae”
but it doesn’t go on any official government documents.

In certain sectors of the Internet, I’m known as Judith Teresa, but that’s about as far as it goes. My family and friends still just call me Judith, although when I run into friends from my old RCIA class, they call me Teresa.
 
I think, in both the Catholic and Orthodox Churches, the use of the “special name” we receive on confirmation (in the case of the Catholic Church) and chrismation (in the case of a previously-baptized Christian entering the Orthodox Church) is left to the discretion of the participant.

As I said in a previous post, as my Orthodox priest gives me Communion on Sundays, he says “Elizabeth receives…etc.” Also, when I go to Confession I am greeted by my sacramental name Elizabeth. Yet if I share coffee in the kitchen with either of our priests or encounter them in the church office I am greeted by my ordinary given name. It is a nice way of honoring the name given me by my parents so many years ago, as well as being called, in a very special and sacramental way, the beautiful Christian saint’s name I have assumed. A very nice combination, I say!

Alisa
 
So, if I were being confirmed and wanted the name Jerome it would be fine? Since I am female I would probably just have a female saint’s name in front of it?
 
psr13 said:
So, if I were being confirmed and wanted the name Jerome it would be fine? Since I am female I would probably just have a female saint’s name in front of it?
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Only if you are being baptized and confirmed at the same time: otherwise you just take one name, and use your given name in front of it.
 
I understand now. So I would just have my name with Jerome since I was previously baptized in a different church. Gotcha.
 
That would be fine. I sponsered a woman who wanted to honor her grandfather, so she chose the name mark
 
Yeah, the Jerome has to do with ancestry and some other things. I really like that he translated the Scripture into Latin. That translates well into my love of languages.
 
I am about to go throught confirmation and i was wondering about taking a saints name. Does it have to be a saint? I have done some research out found someone who isnt a saint. I would like to take Blessed Kateri Tekakwitha’s name. Is that ok to do?
 
Krista09 said:
I am about to go throught confirmation and i was wondering about taking a saints name. Does it have to be a saint? I have done some research out found someone who isnt a saint. I would like to take Blessed Kateri Tekakwitha’s name. Is that ok to do?
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I don’t see why not. One of my god sons took his grandfather’s name. It doesn’t have to be an official Saint; just someone that you personally are reasonably sure is in Heaven, and can pray for you on that day.
 
“Blesseds” and “Venerables” count as saints for this purpose.

Also, “Kateri” is the Mohawk-ized form of Catherine. The lady’s original name was Tekakwitha; Kateri was her baptismal name. So it’d be a saint’s name anyway.

I love how popular a name Kateri is becoming, among Catholics.
 
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