Tonight, forty-seven of our young people will receive the Sacrament of Confirmation. I remember my Confirmation being one of the first times I can remember really being moved by the Spirit. I knew it was an important milestone, but it was a surprise that it touched me so deeply.
What do you remember about your Confirmation? What saint name did you choose and why?
Wow, how wonderful that such a large group is being Confirmed at your parish! Our tiny parish had 2 young women receive the Holy Mystery of Chrismation (Confirmation) this past Sunday (one also received her 1st Holy Eucharist). In the East, the priest anoints the individual with chrism in the sign of the Cross on the forehead, eyes, nostrils, mouth, ears, chest, hands & feet.
ReplyDeleteI was Confirmed in 8th grade & my Aunt was my Confirmation sponsor. It was a very special time as my uncle passed away less than 2 weeks later as a result of exposure to agent orange while serving in Viet Nam. I chose the name Regina in honor of the Blessed Mother under her title of Regina Coeli, Queen of Heaven. We gave our eldest daughter a middle name that is a variant of that name. Some parishes no longer encourage children to choose a Confirmation name, which I think is a shame. It is a wonderful way to learn about the Communion of Saints & to develop a relationship with a special heavenly intercessor. Additionally, with the tradition of choosing a Saint for your child's Baptismal name falling out of favor among many parents, the tradition of choosing a Confirmation name gives the child a connection to their Faith.
I was confirmed when I was in 6th grade and really had no understanding of what it was all about until a few years ago. I went to a Catholic school and I remember that we had to memorize the questions and answers and everybody dreaded the day that we were quizzed. But the Confirmation itself was a reason to choose your own name (fun!), get a new dress (fun!), and have a party (fun!). We had a visiting bishop with the odd (to us) first name of Donal -- I remember being told in religion class that his name was "Donald without the D" and watching my friend write down "Bishop Onald." :D
ReplyDeleteMy godmother was my sponsor, and I chose the name Catherine, because I liked the way it sounded with my full name. I wanted to spell it "Katherine," but afterward had a change of heart about that "K" and was so upset; my mother assured me that it could easily be fixed. She worked for the parish at that time and It turned out she was the one who kept the confirmation records! So my official confirmation name is Catherine!
Sorry to go on and on today. Pilgrims, I completely agree with you about the beauty of choosing a Confirmation name. I hope I give my daughters the catechesis that I lacked, so they have a better understanding of this mysterious sacrament.
Bishop Onald...that is so funny!! Donal is a classic Irish name, but I myself hadn't heard of it until we had a priest from Ireland at our parish & who had a brother named Donal.
DeleteI think most of us girls considered how pretty the name sounded when we chose our Confirmation names...which, after all, is still a compliment to that patron saint. :) I love the name Catherine (& I love St. Catherine of Siena's writings!), it was my maternal grandmother's name.
Confirmation is like your own personal Pentecost & it completes (or perfects) the sacrament of Baptism...which is really awesome to consider! In this day & age, our children need all the graces they can get!
CatholicMomInOz: You didn't share your Confirmation name...
My Confirmation name was...St. Hilary. Yes, he's a man, but he was also a great lover of books and learning. And yes, I was a nerd in school so that was right up my alley. Haha! I was confirmed in the 11th grade (preparation was a 3-year process) and my sponsor was my best friend's older sister. My prayer is always that the young people see it as the gift it is...the completion of their Baptism, and not "graduation" from catechesis.
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