Confirmation is one of the Sacraments of the Catholic Church. In this process, performed by the Bishop, the Holy Spirit is poured into the faithful, confirming the faith bestowed upon them in Baptism, and giving them the ability to practice their Catholic faith. One custom that is part of this Sacrament is choosing a Confirmation Name. This is widely adopted by some countries like the United States, the United Kingdom, Poland, and Germany. In this blog post, we will tackle the whole process of choosing a Confirmation Name.
What does a Confirmation Saint mean?
Confirmation Saint is the Saint chosen by the faithful for the Sacrament of Confirmation to be their model, guide, and protector.
The name of the saint will be your confirmation name. Adapting the saint’s name as part of your name is a reminder that just like that Saint, you are committed to being holy. They serve as your inspiration, emulating their love for God and His people.
Choosing a Confirmation Saint is optional. It still depends on what country you are in. Some countries adopted this practice and others don’t.
How to choose your Confirmation Saint Name?
Here is a step-by-step guide to choosing your confirmation saint for your confirmation name.
Find your Saint
The first step is looking for a saint.
Consider saints:
1. Whose feast day falls on your birthday or baptism day.
2. Whose patronage is related to your profession or vocation.
This will actually narrow down your options.
If you have more than one choice, read their life stories. It will help you know them more. After gathering enough information about them, narrow your choices down into two.
If you want to widen your options, you can check this link for a list of Saints.
For gender-specific names, here are the ideas for confirmation saint names for females. And these are for the confirmation saint names for males.
Pray to the Holy Spirit
Pray to the Holy Spirit to guide you in choosing your confirmation saint. This saint will be with you spiritually and becomes your friend who intercedes for you to God.
Talk about your choices
Open up about your choices. Talk to your parents, sponsor, or pastor about them. Talk about what drew you to the saints you’ve selected on a spiritual level. They may give you the advice you need to finalize your decision.
Select your Confirmation Name
The final step in the process is selecting your confirmation name. You may inform your family and friends about your decision. Get used to it by saying it multiple times in your mind. Practice writing your confirmation name as part of your full name.
Where to put your Confirmation Name?
It comes after your first and middle names and before the last name. For example, my first, middle, and last names are Nicole Ramiscal Mata, respectively. If I chose St. André Bessette as my confirmation saint, my name would be Nicole Ramiscal André Mata.
Other FAQs on Choosing a Confirmation Name
Here are some of the frequently asked questions when choosing a confirmation name.
Is your confirmation name a legal name?
No, unless you undergo a legal process to put your confirmation name as part of your legal name.
Is your Confirmation Saint your Patron Saint?
Not necessarily but it is possible that your confirmation saint is also your patron saint. You can choose your patron saint as your confirmation saint.
Conclusion
Choosing a Confirmation Saint Name is simple and straightforward. While selecting, you will get to know many saints you haven’t met before. They will teach you life lessons you never intend to learn. The whole process can make you holy. You just need to be open.
Now that you know how to choose a Confirmation Saint Name, you may also want to check the following other tasks worth remembering before the Sacrament of Confirmation.
- Confession- Confessing your sins is a must before receiving the gift of the Holy Spirit in the Sacrament of Confirmation. Click here to know what sins to confess.
- Confirmation Dress- Deciding on what to wear during the Sacrament can also be stressful. If you haven’t any idea yet, here are some guidelines to dress appropriately.
- Confirmation Gift for Sponsor- Have no idea what to give to your Sponsor to show your appreciation? Here are the best Confirmation Gift Ideas for Sponsors.
May the Holy Spirit guide you. May your Confirmation Saint intercede for you.
Happy Confirmation!
