CHOOSING A CONFIRMATION NAME
The purpose of selecting a confirmation name after a saint is to give the confirmand the opportunity to develop his understanding of and reliance on the communion of saints. Looking into the lives of those who came before us and developed a close relationship with the Lord, should inspire and accompany us in our faith journey.
A confirmation name is not a name that other people call you by, like a baptismal name. Ideally, a confirmation name should be the name of a saint who inspires you, and whose virtues you want to imitate. This saint will accompany you through life.
If you have been baptized as an infant, chances are that your baptismal name is already the name of a saint, or a person from the bible. Adopting a new name is inspired by various episodes in the Bible where an individual received a new name when given a mission by God. For example, Abram became “Abraham,” and Saul became “Paul.”
You may choose to be confirmed by your baptismal name, select a name from the Bible, or a canonized saint of the catholic church.
CHOOSING A PATRON SAINT
As you prepare to receive the sacrament of confirmation you are asked to choose a saint as your patron/patroness. The saint you choose should reflect a devotion you have to the saint, virtues or gifts to which you aspire, or the patron saint of certain gifts that are dear to you. To start,
1. Pray and ask the Holy Spirit to choose a patron saint for you, and lead you to him/her.
2. Read and learn about several saints and their lives before making your choice. Notice if one of them inspires you. You can choose a saint of either gender.
3. As you consider a saint, select something they have said that inspires or challenges you.
4. Have a parent approve your selection of a saint before you complete the report to verify the saint exists.
GUIDELINES FOR SAINT REPORT
Your report should explain why you chose this saint. Here are three questions that I want you to answer before you collect biographical information:
- What virtues or qualities does this saint have that you admire?
- How does this saint inspire you to become a better person, a saint?
- Do you and your saint have any similarities?
- Is your saint the patron/patroness of something that matters to you?
Choose a format for your report:
A – CREATIVE:
1 – create a poster with a saying or reflection from your saint, a visual that you can place on a wall to remind you and others to reflect on who God is, and how we are to behave as his children.
2 – On the back of the poster you should include some biographical information such as when was he/she born, where she/he grew up, what challenges he/she faced.
3 – It will need to include the CONFIRMATION NAME you are choosing.
B – FORMAL: your report can be two typed pages, double spaced and include a title; your full name and the CONFIRMATION NAME you are choosing! For example my patron saint is St. Joan of Arc. So my Confirmation name is Joan, or indicate if you will be confirmed using your baptismal name.
Your report should explain who your saint is, and provide biographical details about his/her life. Here are some questions that can help you:
- When and where was your saint born?
- What drew him or her to Jesus Christ?
- Did your saint become a priest or nun, or was he/she a layperson?
- What sort of obstacles did your saint have to overcome to attain holiness?
- Did your saint write any books?
- When and how did your saint die?
- On what date is your saint celebrated by the Church?
- On what date was your saint declared a saint by the Church?
- What is your saint the patron/patroness of?
- What miracles are attributed to your saint?
- Please include at least one quote from your saint that inspires you.
Resources for Choosing a Confirmation Saint Websites:
Email your report to VeronicaL@STOL.church by March 4, 2024