So you`re preparing for confirmation and not only are you taking care of everything the sacrament brings—which is the most important part and what you should focus the most attention on—but you probably need to think about your confirmation name as well. Of course, I do not have a name of confirmation, since I was celebrated as a child at the time of baptism. But since I`m Catholic, I don`t think I know anyone who really uses their confirmation name (as a middle name, etc.). I don`t know why it`s because I know it`s something that can be done, but I don`t think many people care. I don`t know! Names have always been an important part of our faith. God Himself said, “Do not be afraid, for I have redeemed you; I have called thee by name, thou art mine” (Isaiah 43:1). A new name often signified an approach to God, as with Abram to Abraham (1. Moses 17:5), Jacob to Israel (Genesis 35:10), and Simon to Peter (John 1:42). It has never been uncommon for priests and religious to adopt a new name when they enter religious life, and popes also take on a new name – the election of Francis by our current Holy Father has sent a clear message about what kind of pope he would be. You can ask the court to legally change the name you received at birth, adoption or marriage. “I asked for the name of a saint and the director of RCIA told me that the priest would use that name during the sacrament, but the priest used my real name instead, and the name of the saint does not appear on my certificate of confirmation. When I asked the director of RCIA about this, she said that regardless of the name used in the Lord`s Supper or appearing on the certificate, that the name of the saint I had chosen was always my real name of confirmation.

Thank you for your answer and also for your offer to help me find a patron saint. May the Holy Spirit guide you. May your confirmation saints intercede for you. But we used it for the middle name of our third daughter… So legally it`s hers and that`s enough for me. And indeed, in my application for a legal name change at the FIL, he wrote that legally changing his surname to the surname he had always used “will avoid any confusion and possible legal problems for me in the future.” So I wonder if his use of his confirmation name as a middle name was just one of those things – he just started using it, and it was fine, and nobody cared, and it became as established as his middle name (or it was such a common practice for people to do it) that he didn`t even feel the need to do it. in his application for a change of surname? (As I was getting ready to write this post this morning, I read this article I wrote for CatholicMom about middle names – I found it so interesting again! Haha!) Despite the popularity of confirmation names, there are no official Vatican rules for them, so it is important to contact your local church authority. I asked the bishop of my diocese (the Roman Catholic Diocese of Albany, NY), and he offered this wisdom: If you use it enough, it becomes an alias, which is almost the same as a legal name. Enough for law enforcement to add it to your file lol.

In New York State, you have the right to adopt any name you want using that name for everything in your life. This does not apply to children or prisoners. However, it may be best to legally change your name, as most government agencies will not accept your name change without a court order. I`ve never used my confirmation name anywhere, which is a shame because I really like it. (It`s Teresa, for Teresa d`Avila.) I discussed adding it to my official name, but decided not to because I am already A. Abigail and couldn`t imagine being A. Abigail T. Sandel. It just seemed embarrassing. Anyway, it reminded me of something I read recently about confirmation names that are actually used in real life and that I wanted to share with you. This is taken from the entry Christian Names in the Catholic Encyclopedia (1911) on the New Coming: If you want to expand your options, you can check out this link for a list of saints.

I love this story from your great-grandfather! It`s so interesting to think about how serious we are about names and their “officiality” these days, when not so long ago it didn`t seem like a big deal at all. Is it a local (US?) Tradition? I don`t remember having to choose a name when I was confirmed. Two months after my confirmation, my mother took a new puppy for the family. While carrying the puppy into the house, my mother said, “As soon as I saw her, her name came directly to me. Doesn`t she look exactly like Lucy? I really love that you gave your daughter your confirmation name! It is important to follow the rules of your diocese, so be sure to be clear about what they are when asking your priest, teacher or director of religious education. It`s also important to note that confirmation names aren`t a requirement – it`s perfectly acceptable for you to be confirmed under your own name, the name you were baptized with. I love hearing people choose opposite-sex names for confirmation! There is nothing wrong with that. My own confirmation name is just something I tell people when they ask me what it is, and I have a devotion to them and feel a special bond (St. Jacinta), but my mom loves to write my full name on cards, notes, etc., which is First Middle Confirmation Maiden Married! She also does it for my brothers and sisters, three of whom already have two middle names. She`s a little crazy about all names! (I think that`s where I understand) (Hello mom 🙂) Open yourself to your decisions.

Talk to your parents, godparents or pastor. Share what drew you to the spiritually chosen Saints. They can give you the advice you need to complete your decision. I had never heard such a story about confirmation names before! Not necessarily, but it is possible that your confirmation saint is also your patron saint. You can choose your patron saint as your confirmation patron. I added my confirmation name Perpetua to my legal name when I got married. So now I am Blair Arden Perpetua Larson I and all my 5 siblings have been given a confirmation name, which was a great excitement in our house. We all wanted to take the names of the TV characters of the time – Wyatt (Earp) and Davy (Crockett) were popular – but we let ourselves be deterred without too much Tsuris. I took Christopher and later used him on legal documents. But not on my Social Security card, because it was based on my birth certificate. “Christopher” stayed with me for 10 years at Amy and several background checks for sensitive government jobs thereafter. Pray to the Holy Spirit who guides you in choosing your confirmation saint.

This saint will be spiritually with you and become your friend who intercedes for you with God. That said, if you`re able to choose a confirmation name and want to, here are some helpful resources: I was named after my mother`s confirmation saint, and my daughter`s center is after the same saint. I plan to use my confirmation saint for a future daughter. I know, all the initials!! It`s definitely something I dealt with when I got married. You will definitely be interested in reading my middle name on CatholicMom – your suspicion was mine too, it was interesting what I discovered! catholicmom.com/2015/07/15/middle-names-yes-or-no/ Roman ritual states that in non-Christian regions, any name with Christian significance can be chosen. This expands the scope to include theological words such as grace, truth, justice, birth of Christ or Cruz. Or place names like Fatima, Guadalupe and Lourdes. You can choose the surnames of the saints as well as the first names: Drexel, DePaul, Jogues, McAuley. And if you have more than one favorite saint, there are no obstacles to using a hyphen. You can find smarter ideas CatholicMom.com under “Creative Catholic Names.” Before my confirmation, I was so excited to choose my name. I was a name nerd for life and loved my first name (alongside dolls and hamsters).

I knew for years that I would choose Lucy. I told everyone I knew and kept telling them how much I loved my confirmation name and what it meant to me. No, unless you go through a legal process to provide your verification name as part of your legal name. I am sure your priest and bishop would agree with him! In addition, different dioceses may have different customs, such as: 1. Whose feast day falls on your birthday or baptism.2. Whose patronage is linked to your profession or vocation. I really only gave my confirmation name (also a male name – Camillus) on the wedding invitations. I don`t know how I want to integrate it into real life. *Funny other story: My grandmother REALLY wanted a girl when my father was born.

She tried to call him Jamie Lynn (who was actually a cousin on my mother`s side), but I guess they convinced her to change him to [only] James, nicknamed Jim (brothers Joseph Phillip Jr. – Joe and Richard – Rick).