CHOOSING A PATRON SAINT
Everything you need to complete the report on your Patron Saint can be found on this page. Watch this video as a starting place or use the resources provided as a starting place.
It's time to choose the name of a holy person whose witness inspires you to live a life of love for God and neighbor! When you are confirmed, the bishop will say “(your saint's name), be sealed with the gift of the Holy Spirit” (Rite of Confirmation, 27). This name will be a symbol of what you will strive for in your life as missionary disciple of Jesus Christ.
You, the candidate, must complete a 250-word report including:
1) the saint’s name,
2) a simple biography of the saint (including approximate dates of birth and death, some details of their devotion to Christ, and who/what they are the patron of),
3) on what day the saint’s liturgical feast day is celebrated,
4) what about the saint inspired you to choose them as your patron.
Please include the following at the heading of your report:
1) Your name
2) your desired patron’s full name please be as specific as possible (for example, there are many St. Francis’s, so you are asked to specify St. Francis of Assisi, St. Francis de Sales, St. Frances of Rome, etc. There are also many Mary’s, so please specify the Blessed Virgin Mary, St. Mary Magdalene, St. Mary of Bethany, etc.),
3) your desired alternative name form, if applicable.
Turning in your report:
Please submit your completed report to the youth ministry office or email it to mshreffler@stmarkevangelist.com. If using Google Docs, please share with diryouthministry@gmail.com.
Question and Answer:
Q1: Where can I learn more about saints I might choose?
A: Use the links provided below under "resources". Also consider looking up which saints have their feast days on your birthday or other significant dates in your life. This can help.
Q2: Do holy people who have not yet been canonized (i.e. declared a saint) count?
A: You may choose the name of someone who is not yet canonized but has been declared “blessed” (i.e. has been beatified) by the Church. Examples include Blessed Pier Giorgio Frassati, Blessed Carlo Acutis, and Blessed Chiara Badano.
Q3: Can I choose the name of a holy person from the Bible? (Examples: Moses, Ruth, Judith, David, etc.)
A: Yes, you may.
Q4: Can a young man choose a female patron or a young woman choose a male patron? (Examples: a female candidate choosing St. Francis of Assisi or a male candidate choosing St. Cecilia)
A: Yes, absolutely. And see Q5 below about choosing an alternative version of a patron’s name for purposes of matching a gendered name with the candidate’s sex, if desired.
Q5: Can I choose to be called by an alternative version of my patron’s name? (Examples of altered language: José for St. Joseph, Francisco for St. Francis of Assisi, Pedro for St. Peter the Apostle, Teresa for St. Thérèse of Lisieux; examples of altered gender: Gabriela for St. Gabriel the Archangel, Antonia for St. Anthony of Padua; examples of shortened form: Carlo for Blessed Carlo Acutis)
A: Yes. However, the alternative form should be dignified and reflect an obvious connection to the popular form of the saint’s name.
Resources:
Life Teen - 100 Saints - we have this book if you would like to borrow a copy!
