Catholic - VANITY - Confirmation Names...

18 April 2002

[history_matters]

What was your Confirmation name?

Why did you choose it?

[history_matters]

With the news from Slyfox of the entire Confirmation class taking the name Stephen ... it got me curious about the rest of us and why we chose the names we did.....

[history_matters]

p i n g i n g

[sneakers]

My confirmation name is "Mary". At the time (I was 12) I didn't really think about it. My cousin Johnny was being confirmed too so we chose the names Mary and Joseph. In retrospect, I'm glad I chose that name.

[roachie]

Catherine of Alexandria. Picked because she's listed in places as a Patron Saint of Mechanics and Apologists.

I do both jobs. ;)

[Coleus]

used my father's middle name.

[history_matters]

Mine is Gregory. It was my uncle's name, the sainted Pope's name, and I loved Gregorian chants .... still do.

[glorygirl]

Keep in mind this is from the mind of a 12 year old.

I was going to use the name Veronica because I was born on what used to be St. Veronica's feast day. Then I found the church had sort of dropped her from the list of saints because there was no proof she ever existed, biblical or otherwise. So I picked the name Victoria, since it was close to Veronica. Then I found out there wasn't any St. Victoria, but it was too late.Oh well. Guess we'll have to credit St. Victor.

Back in those days, you had to pick the name of saints, but I understand that's no longer the case, at least for baptisms.

[history_matters]

St. Victoria
Feastday:
December 23

  There is very little known about St. Victoria. With her sister Anatolia, she refused importunate suitors. Both were imprisoned and starved by their suitors but persisted in refusing marriage. Anatolia was converted to Christianity and converted many in Picenum before being denounced for her faith, for which she was tortured and executed at Thora on Lake Velino in Italy. When Victoria refused to sacrifice to pagan gods, she too was executed, perhaps at Tribulano. The guard was converted by their example and was also martyred. Their whole story is probably a pious myth, though they did actually live. Feast day is December 23rd.

from Catholic.org

[history_matters]

I think St. Victoria is a wonderful saint. That was my mother's Confirmation name. LOL!!!

[Brian Kopp DPM]

Joseph. It was my grandfather's middle name, and pappy was a quiet, kind, loving man who was good with his hands. Although a welder in the Railroad shops, he was a great woodworker too, and I always loved him.

Now I do woodwork too, and whether I'm doing surgery or building a wooden toy for one of my children for Christmas, I ask for St. Joseph's intercession that my work will be the best I can do and for the Glory of God.

I didn't understand devotion to saints back then, but now understand what a great joy it is to be a part of that communion of saints all the early Christian Creeds mention.

[tiki]

My husband and I both had saint names as our original middle names and we decided that God gave us our confirmation names at birth since neither of us were born into a Catholic family and so we chose saints with those names.

Mine is Elizabeth Ann Seton. I chose her because she was a convert and she was converted by her friends as I was.

[Canticle_of_Deborah]

Ahhh, an excellent vanity;)

My confirmation name was Elizabeth. I've always loved that name and if I have a daughter that's what I'd like to name her. The very first saint book I ever read was Elizabeth of Hungary. It's always stuck with me.

BTW h_m, you'd like this new CD I just bought. 'Chant Corpus Christi--Gregorian in Goliad, The Schola Cantorum of Corpus Christi Cathedral' I don't know where this is but it's a great CD. Very relaxing and spiritually opening.

[Canticle_of_Deborah]

PING! Fun thread!

[Clemenza]

Joseph. I wanted to take Valentino or Valentine, but my family mocked me big time, so I chose the patriarch of the holy family.

My uncle told me he chose Robert for purely secular reasons, as he was a big fan of Led Zeppelin, whose lead singer was Robert Plant.

[neocon]

Confirmation name: Peter (as in barque of; need I say more?)

Name in religion: Albert, after Albertus Magnus, teacher of St. Thomas Aquinas, and patron of scientists. Albert the Great is also credited with "baptizing" Aristotle.

Faith: Stirring, not shaken.

This is beginning to sound like a Dewar's profile, n'est-ce pas?

[pro-life]

i'm curious, what is the reasoning for choosing confirmation names? i've never talked to anybody who knows the answer.

[Romulus]

As sneakers and glorygirl said, 12-year-olds don't always think things through. My confirmation name was John, and though at the time I probably had in mind the evangelist, there are times when I feel closer to the ragged prophet raving in the desert.

"Do not begin to say, We have Abraham for our father. For I say unto you that God is able of these stones, to raise up children to Abraham."

[OxfordMovement]

I hope I'm not butting in since I'm not Roman Catholic yet, but in my very anglo-catholic Episcopal Church we followed this beautiful tradition. I chose "Bernard" which my family and friends thought a bit old fashioned and funny, but my priest had given me a book with the most beautiful quote from St. Bernard of Clairvaux, and when I read it I knew I wanted him for my saint. I believe St. Bernard has been interceding for me and pointing me toward the whole truth of Jesus Christ and His marvelous Church.

[neocon]

what is the reasoning for choosing confirmation names

Rev 2:17: "... to those who prove victorious I will give ... a white stone - a stone with a new name written on it, known only to the man who receives it."

The white stone (the color of triumph and joy) symbolizes entry into the kingdom of heaven. The "new name" signifies the Christian's spiritual rebirth.

See also Rev 3:12, 19:2, and Is 62:2, 65:15.

[neocon]

Bernard is a wonderful choice! I'm always inspired by his lyrical sermons. He played a very important role in the development of Trappist (Order of Cistercians of the Strict Observance, a reform of the Benedictines) monastic spirituality.