How to Select a Saint's Name at Baptism

Throughout history, names have always been a very important cultural element. A name can signify a person's association with a group of people or a specific person, religious beliefs or even an entire country. Your family name links you with generations of people who have preceded your existence and made your existence possible. When you select a saint's name at baptism, it makes your association with the church known to all. Many parents choose a saint's name for their babies at baptism.

Instructions

Difficulty: Easy

1. Select a patron saint in the Catholic Church who can be an intercessor on your behalf. Choosing a saint's name honors the saint and helps you associate your life with the life of the saint.
2. Reflect on the stories you have learned about different saints in the Catholic Church. If you know of a saint who interests you, led an inspirational life or worked with people like you, you may want to choose his name. For example, St. Anthony of Padua is the Catholic patron saint of lost items, the poor and travelers. St. Anthony of Padua traveled throughout Italy preaching about the grandeur of Christianity.
3. Look through a list of saint names, and read a short biography on each of their lives at the Catholic Online website (see Resources below). While you can't fully understand the life of the saint in a few short sentences, you can use this website to get an overview of the saints, and then do deeper research into the lives of saints you like.
4. Plan ahead when giving a saint's name to a baby during baptism. Look for a saint with an inspirational life you would like your child to follow in the future. Choose a saint like St. Angela de Merici, who noticed people in her area of Italy weren't paying attention to some of the girls. St. Angela decided to tell the girls about Jesus and Mary and help them to become pure, wise young women.
5. Use the Saint of the Day feature on the American Catholic website (see Resources below). You can do this to familiarize yourself with saints, and to introduce your children to many saints and make it easier for them to select a patron saint at confirmation.

Tips & Warnings

• Choosing a saint's name at baptism is not a requirement in the Catholic Church, but a Christian name should be used. Canon 855 of the Code of Canon Law set in 1983 dictates that parents should select names that are considered appropriately Christian.