Taking a "Saint name"

[mshealy]

When one is going through RCIA or Confirmation, the Church encourages people to take “saint names.”

(1) Why? What is the basis of this?

(2) What is the official list of “saints” for this purpose? Do they have to be listed in the current Roman Missal?

(3) Would “Constantine” (Roman Emperor) be an appropriate saint name?

 

[SORROWS]

It’s funny that you mention Constantine because he is the son of my Saints name **St Helen (Helena).

During ones Confirmation it is traditional to choose a Saint who will become a Patron Saint for that individual. This Saint will be like a protector who will guide and act as a Heavenly intercessor.

Many parents especially years ago, named their children after a Saint and I think it is a good thing.

Saint Helen has been an amazing Patron Saint. She found the True Cross of Jesus Christ (her life is facinating) and like I said, is the mother of Constantine.

Saint Helen finds everything for me. I have so many stories of items lost and she will lead me directly to it. I love her so much.**

 

[LittleRose]

I can’t comment on any official teachings, but I can tell what I think…

1.) There are many times in the bible when God grants someone a new name to indicate His new relationship with the person. For instance, Abram–> Abraham, Simon–>Peter (The Apostle), Saul–>Paul. The name change reflected the spiritual change in the person when God made them new in some way.

When a person receives the Sacrament of Confirmation (and also baptism), God also makes us new, or confers upon us new graces. The new name we choose is a reflection of this. The idea is that by choosing to name ourselves for this person we are also asking whatever saint it is to intercede for us, and we are possibly hoping to model our own lives after some exemplary part of that saint’s life.

For example, when I was confirmed, I chose the confirmation name Therese, after St. Therese the Little Flower. I chose her specifically because I thought she was a neat person and her childlike way seemed so unlike mine (I can be very pig-headed and obstinate). I wanted to become a bit more childlike, since this is what Christ asks us to be toward him

It’s been 10 years since my confirmation, and I’m still working on that.

2 ) As far as whose names are available, I think pretty much everyone who is officially canonized by the Roman Catholic Church.

3.) I don’t think Constantine is among those, but I could be mistaken. There are a lot of saints out there.

 

[I_A]

catholic-forum.com/saints/saintc2i.htm

 

[lel]

If I am female, must my saint also be female? If I am male, must my saint also be male?

 

[LilyM]

If I am female, must my saint also be female? If I am male, must my saint also be male?

Nope. Mary or Marie (for the Blessed Virgin) has historically been quite a common middle name for European males, including St Anthony Mary Claret and St John Marie Vianney (the Cure of Ars)

And many nuns take the names of male saints on entering religious life. One of my teachers was a Sister Bernardine, after the male saint Bernardine of Siena.

 

[prv]

When one is going through RCIA or Confirmation, the Church encourages people to take “saint names.”

(1) Why? What is the basis of this?

(2) What is the official list of “saints” for this purpose? Do they have to be listed in the current Roman Missal?

(3) Would “Constantine” (Roman Emperor) be an appropriate saint name?

See

Confirmation Names under the article “Christian Names”

newadvent.org/cathen/10673c.htm

As for choosing different names for Confirmation I don’t know much about, but in baptism it was often in the case that the parents chose a ridiculous name for their child at birth. Often a saint’s name was added onto the birth name by the priest.

See

Baptismal name under the article “Baptism”

newadvent.org/cathen/02258b.htm

 

[Jeff_Hale]

When I was in the RCIA process and we were asked to choose a saint’s name, I chose St. Thomas the Apostle, “Doubting” Thomas, because I could so identify with the doubt he had regarding Christ’s resurrection. I had quite a few doubts myself after many years of atheism. Anyway, after I was confirmed I learned that the Church recognizes many of its saints with “feast days”. So I looked up in some book to see if St. Thomas was listed anywhere. Lo and behold, his feast day is the same day as my birthday, July 3. They say sometimes (maybe more often than that) the saint picks you, rather than the other way around, and that might very well be the case for me.

Jeff

 

[Br.Rich_SFO]

When one is going through RCIA or Confirmation, the Church encourages people to take “saint names.”

(1) Why? What is the basis of this?

(2) What is the official list of “saints” for this purpose? Do they have to be listed in the current Roman Missal?

(3) Would “Constantine” (Roman Emperor) be an appropriate saint name?

We choose a Saints name as a role model for us to follow in our daily lives.

It’s called the Martyrology and any good Catholic book of Saints like Butlers will provide many names and info on the Saints.

Constantine is not a Saint.