Confirmation Name Paper

The Rite of Confirmation includes a naming ritual. The candidate is allowed to keep their Baptismal name. Doing so, symbolizes the connection between these two sacraments of initiation, this is one option.

The other option a candidate has is to take a new name. This symbolizes the new commitment they are making. It speaks to the fact that they have, through the preparation process, come to see themselves in a “new way.”

It has always been the tradition that a saint’s name, or derivative thereof be chosen to make the connection with the powerful witness the Communion of Saints can be in our lives. Since the communion of saints includes all the members of the Christian community, both living and dead, it is hard to find a name that is not a saint’s name. Therefore, the Church now asks that the name a candidate chooses be reflective of our Christian values. Choosing popular names from fiction or media sources that represent the opposite of Christian values in the culture is prohibited.

Each candidate is asked to choose a name and to write atyped paper, minimum 2 pages that is double spaced, and in Times New Roman font (remember a paragraph contains a minimum of four complete sentences) which completes the following criterion:

  1. The meaning of your Baptismal name
  2. Why that particular name was chosen for you?
  3. The meaning of your Confirmation name.
  4. Why you chose that name.
  5. A biographical description of the person who has this name from the communion of saints whose life has been an example of Christian living to you.
  6. Spelling and grammar must be correct.
  7. Minimum of 2 sources required and written in proper bibliography form.

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Follow the guidelines on the next page to assist you with this project

Date Due: Friday October 27th Faith Group Gathering

GUIDELINES FOR NAME PAPER

Your Baptismal Name

  • Research the meaning of your Baptismal name

(ie John is from the ______language and it means ______)

  • Speak with your parents to learn why the name you were given at baptism was chosen.
  • Do you feel this name fits you? Why or why not?
  • If your Baptismal name is also the name of a saint, research this saint and describe what they did in their life to be named a Saint in the Catholic Church.
  • After researching this saint’s life, do you feel there are any connections between this saint’s life and yours? Why or why not?

Your Confirmation Name

  • The name of the saint you have researched and a brief summary of their life. Why were they named a saint in the Catholic Church?
  • What about this saint’s life caught your attention?
  • Does this saint have any of the characteristics /gifts that you discovered in yourself at the gift discernment workshop?
  • Does this saint have any of the characteristics / gifts that you discovered in yourself at the gift discernment workshop that you would like to develop more?
  • Why do you think it is important to know about this saint’s life? How will knowing about this saint influence your life?

Suggested Research Sites

Loyola Press

Franciscan Media