[afraidfortherepublic]

The girls also took the name Stephen. It was not a setup on part of anyone but the kids themselves. We were all stunned.

This just gives me chills. It reminds me of early martyrs in Rome -- Lucy, Perpetua, Agnes, etc. I am so proud of the youngsters in your parish.

[afraidfortherepublic]

And for all those folks that think that it is odd or a "perversion" of the Catholic sacrament of confirmation for the girls to take a 'male' name, let me remind them that certain orders of nuns have done this for years -- especially the Dominicans. It wasn't until after Vatican II that nuns even used a last name: they were Sister George, Sister John Paul, etc.