Deacon Greg writes on confirmation names:
Young people still choose a confirmation name, a patron saint to model themselves after, and to give them inspiration. (I picked Peter for mine — one of the names that my mother had considered for me when I was born.) Over and over, they came forward as their sponsors announced the names. Francis. Elizabeth. Veronica. John. I found it unexpectedly moving. And I realized: here, before my eyes, was the communion of saints. Here is what we all aspire to become. Here was something so full of promise – a new chapter being written in the lives of these young Catholics. “Behold,” as we hear in Revelation today, “I make all things new.”
I love the part about the communion of saints and how we aspire to be like them. But I began to think about a few things. What do I remember from my own confirmation, some 27 (yikes!) years ago?
Well, I actually remember a lot. Some basics and some uniqueness:
1) I took Francis as my confirmation name because my father is also Michael Francis Hayes. My father also served as my sponsor, which is unusual, but I didn’t really have anyone else that I wanted to serve in that role and the name thing kinda made it relevant in my mind.
2) I was in 7th grade and because I went to Catholic School that year I got to make confirmation a year earlier than the students I had attended public school with.
3) I was also a mess. Three days before my confirmation I took a slide on the playground and tore up my knee and face and bruised my upper lip. (“You should’ve seen the other guy” was my line to the Bishop.)
4) Bishop Joseph Pernicone was presider–an auxillary of the Archdiocese of New York.
5) I remember that nobody would raise their hand to answer the one question that the Bishop asked. “Why would the feast of Pentecost be an appropriate day for Confirmation?” We all probably knew the answer but nobody wanted to seem like the “religious guy.” Looking back, I wish I had the bravery to stand up and give that answer now. But it also makes me more sensitive to the students I serve now, especially when I press them to “come out” as Catholics.
6) I even remember that I stood next to Will Kopps, who was quite a baseball player, even at that age. As an aside, I also remember the graduate league baseball game we had that weekend where we were up a run and someone hit me a ground ball at first base, I corralled the ball nicely and tossed to Will, the pitcher who promptly dropped it. The tying run scored. The next guy hit a shot into center field to drive home the winning run. I was blamed for the loss because I could’ve taken the ball to the bag myself. It was there that I realized that Will could do no wrong–even when he did.
I’m still not quite over that.
But the point is that that week I did a lot of growing up. I learned that sometimes we have to stand up when it’s unpopular. I learned that sometimes those with gifts often get a free pass and others are unjustly blamed for mistakes they didn’t make. I learned that you have to have a thick skin sometimes when others want to kill you.
And I learned that I need to be a lot more like my gentle father, whose name I took that week forever.
And who continues to proudly stand by me, as his son.
18 comments
Fran Rossi Szpylczyn says:
May 1, 2010 at 7:35 pm (UTC -5 )
What a great post! I have to go over to Greg’s and see his.
My confirmation name is Catherine. My first name is for my paternal grandmother, Frances. My middle name is Rose – who was my beloved mother. My confirmation name came from my maternal grandmother and St. Catherine of Siena.
Recently I was told that the appropriate catechesis (although I had never heard this) was to choose your baptismal name. For example, the person who told me this is John Micheal Michael. (well not his real name) Go figure. Have you ever heard this? This person is in the know, he is a priest.
Unlikely as it was, I actually leaped to answer the question. I can’t imagine what caused me to do that other than the Holy Spirit. I was pretty shy back then. I was in public school, so I got confirmed in 8th grade. However I always (surprise) loved religion classes. My mom was beaming and she continued to tell that story of me and the question for the next 20 years until she died.
I have no idea what bishop it was that came to confirm me. It was in the spring of 1971 in White Plains at Our Lady of Mt. Carmel church.
Deacon John M. Bresnahan says:
May 1, 2010 at 10:23 pm (UTC -5 )
I go back to when the bishop tapped you on the cheek as symbolic of the fact we might have to suffer for the Faith someday.
However, sadly, it was dropped after Vatican II.
Yet this was the one symbol that really spoke to young teen-age males (at least in our city crowd)and brought out streams of comments as we prepared for confirmation in the 7th Grade.
Maybe it can be brought back. For dropping it is apparently one of the things that has lead to a number of books being written about the “feminization” of the Church and the steady drop in male participation in the Church.
GodGoogler says:
May 2, 2010 at 12:34 am (UTC -5 )
Via Facebook:
From Cheryl McMahon
“my mom’s name – Martha
”
GodGoogler says:
May 2, 2010 at 12:35 am (UTC -5 )
Via Facebook
fromConnie Lane Neuman
“Just thinking about this the other day! My sponsor was my late cousin Bob’s wife Evelyn, now 90. I took her name and it was ok with everybody that we were talking about Eve. Made sense to me 54 years ago, still does. When Jesus descended to the dead and took everybody of all time up to that point to the throne of the Father on high– Eve was among them. A small s saint, but a saint. Nobody but Jesus and Mary could be perfect. Evelyn/Eve’s a good patron. “
GodGoogler says:
May 2, 2010 at 12:37 am (UTC -5 )
Via Facebook:
From Zachary Tomasik
“I have my grandfathers full name in my own. My middle name is lorenzetti and I chose anthony as my cofirmation name, so in total my name is Zachary “anthony lorenzetti” Tomasik. I am the last of the lorenzetti name. My moms and only child, her uncle is a preist and only has one aunt who obviously didnt pass on the name.”
GodGoogler says:
May 2, 2010 at 12:38 am (UTC -5 )
Zach,
Grandpa is a cool dude! I need to talk with him about a possible counseling degree for me.
JMS says:
May 3, 2010 at 11:12 am (UTC -5 )
I think about the choice of Confirmation names a lot. I chose Bridget back then, but I am certain my motivation was because I wanted something that sounded more “girlish” and “youthful”. I have often wished I had chosen something more solid or clearly biblical, like Mary or Catherine or Teresa.
But then there are days when I google “Saint Bridget” (because I actually do this every so often)and I find some new piece of information that almost serves as confirmation to me that I chose the proper, er, confirmation name.
NH says:
May 3, 2010 at 12:12 pm (UTC -5 )
I don’t remember much from my Confirmation, but that’s going back almost forty years, lol!
We were all confirmed in seventh grade back then, which was considered rather scandalously slacker-ish by our parents, who were confirmed in fifth grade.
Even though I was confirmed post-VII, we still received the symbolic “slap” from the Bishop, so perhaps it took some time for our parish to catch up to current norms.
The one thing that stands out, however, is that our parish decided to do away with the usual jacket and tie for the boys and gown for the girls because they were concerned about competitive dressing among the girls. The fear was that girls from more well-to-do families would outshine the girls from the less well-to-do families. Boys, I guess, dressed like boys no matter what.
All of us ended up wearing choir robes, or some such, with some kind of stole thingy draped around our necks. It was bloody ridiculous, if you ask me (then and now). What a stupid thing to focus on because, naturally, it was the one thing all of us focused on.
I “chose” Therese as my confirmation name, mostly because it was exotic-sounding and decidedly NOT Irish (I have a horrible Irish girls name, one I loathe, and one I haven’t used since I was old enough to control such things) and because it was one of the few names my father would approve (so much for individual choice). I think my Aunt Jane was my sponsor, but it could have been one of my other aunts. The adults pretty much conrolled that sort of stuff — kind of doled out godparenting/confirmation sponsorship duties on a rotating basis.
So it’s all a blur, with those hideous robes being the only outstanding memory.
Sue says:
May 4, 2010 at 12:09 am (UTC -5 )
mine is Magdalene… I still have a lot of memories on my confirmation… it’s so solemn and very memorable..
God Googler says:
May 5, 2010 at 12:16 am (UTC -5 )
Via Facebook
From Stephanie Weak
Cecilia – my patron saint
God Googler says:
May 5, 2010 at 12:17 am (UTC -5 )
Via Facebook
From Lisa Glazewski Ryan
St. Elizabeth of Hungary — loved that she was a queen with everything she could want yet she would go out in plain clothes and minister to the poor. Elizabeth is also my paternal grandmother’s name, and I was named for her, so to speak. We even gave our daugter Elizabeth as her middle name. I was in 8th grade at St. Bridget’s Junior High in Cheshire (now a K-8 school) — my father’s sister, Dorothy, was my sponsor — Archbishop John Whealon from Hartford, CT, confirmed me — I distinctly remember my father instructing me to kiss the Archbishop’s ring out of respect.
God Googler says:
May 5, 2010 at 12:18 am (UTC -5 )
Via Facebook
From Caitlin Czeh
I took my grandmother’s name, Suzanne Therese. She had passed away 2 years before I was confirmed, but I strive to be like her, a woman, who was strong in her faith and strong-willed in life; an innovator and loving wife and mother.
God Googler says:
May 5, 2010 at 12:18 am (UTC -5 )
Via Facebook
from Lauren Patterson
Another Cecelia, originally chosen because of her musical significance (with very little research done elsewhere), but has come to mean so much more! Her heroic marriage and martyrdom and praise-filled heart have since inspired me to be much more courageous and faith-filled, especially when I don’t understand what God is doing in my life. As someone who feels pretty wimpy at times, I needed a strong lady like her!
Catherine (Katie) says:
September 2, 2010 at 1:46 pm (UTC -5 )
I made my Confirmation on March 14, 2008 at 4pm. I took the name Julia. A year earlier on March 15, 2007, my great-grandmother, Julia Perosi, passed away. She was my best friend, my second mother, my hero, and everything I wanted to be. I took Julia because of her and what she was to me. She always encouraged me no matter what. She was the reason I became an altar server. She was my world. When I found out my Confirmation date, I knew I had to take her name, it was onyl right. I couldnt think of a better way to honor her memory. She is amazing and I love her dearly. RIP Nanny. 10.26.13 – 3.15.07
Aarti Pereira says:
September 2, 2010 at 9:08 pm (UTC -5 )
My Confirmation was 12 years ago. In India, we do not take Confirmation names. It was new to me and I admit I did find it odd. I’ve asked quite a few people about the concept of “confirmation names” and no one has been able to give me a good answer. Mike, maybe you can…
GodGoogler says:
September 3, 2010 at 12:39 am (UTC -5 )
Aarti–
The idea of a new name is twofold: One is that we are “a new person” after receiving the sacrament. The second is that you are supposed to take a Saint’s name and then learn about the saint and imitate that saint in your newfound life.
Hulkenberg says:
November 8, 2010 at 6:48 am (UTC -5 )
I think about the choice of Confirmation names a lot. I chose Bridget back then, but I am certain my motivation was because I wanted something that sounded more “girlish” and “youthful”. I have often wished I had chosen something more solid or clearly biblical, like Mary or Catherine or Teresa.
But then there are days when I google “Saint Bridget” (because I actually do this every so often)and I find some new piece of information that almost serves as confirmation to me that I chose the proper, er, confirmation name.
Jackie Stetson says:
October 16, 2011 at 1:17 pm (UTC -5 )
I am making my Confirmation this year in 7th grade May 2012 and i was having real trouble between two names it was either Dorothy or Elizabeth. Dorothy because my Aunt recently passed and her name was Dorothy so i wanted to honor her. Elizabeth because it was Mary’s cousin and John the baptists mom. I finally decided on Dorothy. I hope my Confirmation goes good and I love all the nice comments about others Confirmation.