SAINT WHO?
Posted on: January 14, 2013
This post has nothing to do with anything beyond the fact that some things do change when you aren’t looking.
At one time a child baptized in the Catholic Church had to carry the name of a saint. The name could be the first or the middle name but it was a requirement.
I recently received an invitation to a baptismal ceremony welcoming twins Cameron and Hayden into the church. The invitation did not include middle names. To my knowledge there was never a Saint Cameron or a Saint Hayden in the archives of saint’s names.
For example, I attended school with a host of Mary’s: Mary Ellen, Mary Catherine, Mary Elizabeth, Mary Ann(e), Mary Margaret, Mary Jane, Mary Claire, Mary Esther,Mary Frances, Mary Rose and Mary Teresa. Most of the boys had either John or Joseph as their first or middle names. “Creativity” had yet to rear its head.
The same applied to the nuns. We were told that their chosen names were those of their parents: Sister Mary John, Sister Helen William, Sister Joseph Grace. You get the point. I was once taught by a Sister Mary of the Rosary who we suspected was an orphan but I digress.
Since most of these “rules” have disappeared it struck me that had this same requirement be in fashion today would we see something along the lines of Sister Beyonce Jay-Z or Sister Kim Kanye holding forth? Good god!
With the names Mary and John you knew where you stood. There was no mistaking their gender. I was amazed to learn that in this instance Cameron was the boy while Hayden was the girl in this mix. “Who knew?” since each of these names have been applied to either gender over the years.
Nuns now carry their own names. Their given names have taken some of the “fun” out of nicknames we gave them to amuse ourselves. No longer a Sister Mary Lidwin (the Lid) or Sister Charles Bertille (Chuckie) to send us into paroxysms of giggles as they once did. Whatever happened to “tradition”?
Apparently the Church has “kept up” with some trends. Someday there may very well be a Jackson or a Haylee among its ranks of saints. Who’s to say?
Right now I am still trying to figure out when blue or pink is appropriate when choosing a gift for a newborn whose name is unclear when it comes to gender.
Obviously I am “in the weeds” if I have to ask.
24 Responses to "SAINT WHO?"
January 14, 2013 at 10:58 am
Besides blue or pink? White, purple, green, yellow, red, maybe not brown or black, and, of course, never mix stripes and polka dots.
January 14, 2013 at 11:11 am
My niece named her daughter “Charlie” and now gets pissed off when the nurse from the pediatrician’s office makes the mistake of referring to “him” over the telephone. I told her she signed up for that kind of thing by choosing the name she did. If you want to defy convention, I’m all in favor of it in fact I encourage it but don’t gripe about it when you run into a few misunderstandings along the way.
January 14, 2013 at 11:11 am
In 8th grade we started each morning off with the reading from a book “The Lives of the Saints”.
Each chapter was highlighted about some poor soul who had been either whipped, beaten, tortured, fried, fileted, hung, stretched, or was attacked by a mob while “defending the faith”. Always an uplifting beginning to any given school day.
I must have skipped over the chapter about St. Camerinus because even now I have no memory of him.
Had his name been Blue Ivy or Apple I am sure it would have stuck.
January 14, 2013 at 3:46 pm
While there are many reasons for tradition, who could argue with Saint Moon Unit Zappa?
I find that I am maleable on most things, but naming children is not one of those. Mainly because those children have to grow up in a hide bound culture and will be subject to bullying. Bullying seems to be acceptable in our culture – boys will be boys etc. My children have their own first names – Lauren for laurel – the greek symbol of excellence – plus it’s an amagamation of her grandma’s, aunt’s and father’s name. Ryan – Gaelic for Little King. Their second names are in remembrance of their ancestors. I don’t believe that any were saints and as an atheist, I don’t much care one way or another, however I don’t think saddling your child with a name that is guaranteed to future problems for that child is a good thing to do. Apple? Rumer? Scout? Not my cuppa tea.
January 14, 2013 at 4:04 pm
That must have been a local or regional rule. When I was involuntarily subscribed by DNA to my former Church Of All Italians through baptism, my middle name was after my grandmother, and neither my first nor my middle name even remotely resembled a Saint’s name, but they still let me in. This could be why I am such a bad girl today! Still, I LIKE my name, and I think that’s more important than anything. The more people like about themselves, the better their chances of feeling secure about themselves. Name is important that way, because it’s with you forever, even unto your gravestone.
Admittedly, there are some pretty silly names given to kids today, but then there are some pretty silly parents out there too. But I think the overdone “catchy name of the year” idea is even more damaging in the ‘common’ sense. Like how many of us know somebody named Katlyn and it’s variation of spellings now? When I taught high school, every other hispanic kid in the school was named Jeraldo. Especially if the last name was Rivera, which is a very common last name. I think a bit of individuality is a good thing, so long as it’s not something laughable, like an inanimate object or an asteroid or something. I think those two names in the post aren’t all that bad if they go well with the last names. I mean you don’t name a kid Cameron if the last name is Italian with five syllables.
January 14, 2013 at 4:22 pm
Irish Catholics need a saint;s name for both baptism and confirmation.
January 14, 2013 at 4:35 pm
All I can say is if you name your kid this, and he gets beat up a lot, you have no one to blame but yourself.
(From Chat’s link)
January 14, 2013 at 5:05 pm
From the local WX guy:
TOMORROW: Still wet and cold
WEDNESDAY: While the clouds hang tough, any rain on Wednesday should be light and spotty
SNOW FLAKES THURSDAY: The next issue in this issue filled forecast comes Thursday, when a cold core upper low is forecast to track through the Deep South. The 12Z GFS brings the cold pool right along I-20, from Jackson to Birmingham to Atlanta. Dynamic cooling associated with the upper low will bring the chance of snow flakes mixed in with the rain…
seasonal affective disorder (SAD) taking hold here. I think I”ll go back to bed. 
January 14, 2013 at 5:16 pm
My cousin, who’s Catholic, was named Patricia. There’s no St. Patricia as far as I know, but maybe it flies as the feminine of Patrick. I had a friend whose parents wanted to name her Donna but the priest said there’s no St. Donna, so she was baptized Donata, poor kid!
January 14, 2013 at 5:35 pm
there’s no St. Donna, so she was baptized Donata, poor kid!
Oh my!
January 14, 2013 at 6:12 pm
fredster, we had late march weather over the weekend – today it’s cold again and tomorrow they’re calling for snow. We’re all over the map weather wise. SAD is a coming.
Branjour, my condolences to Donata, although that is the name of Versace’s sister who is in charge of a multi billion dollar enterprise (by virtue of her brother’s murder mind you) so I guess all is not bad. Perhaps some of the magic will rub onto your friend.
January 14, 2013 at 7:18 pm
Oops, you’re right chat. I’m obviously falling into premature dementia. Should have checked. Probably why I don’t remember who put the bop in the bop she bop.
January 14, 2013 at 8:10 pm
The only reason that I am so smart is that I was on duty the night that her brother was shot.
January 14, 2013 at 8:45 pm
That must have been a crazy night, not that any night on emergency is sane, but that must have been particularly insane. I cannot tell you how much I admire emergency staff – having been in an emergency room too many times. Once when the doctor thought my daughter had meningitis (she was 5). Once when my son was stung by a bee and took a nasty reaction. In both cases the doctor told me to take my children to emergency PDQ. Then there was the time when I fell (darned cat) and broke every bone in my wrist, or when I fell (darned dog) and broke my shoulder and upper arm in 4 places, or the time I stepped on broken glass, or the other time when I broke all the fingers on my right hand in the garage door, or the other time….. well you get the gist. The emergency professionals were wonderful. Yes the waiting time is horrendous, although with my situations there was no waiting – head of the line when serious children issues or blood is involved. I was amazed at how very cordial each and every professional was, considering that they had rooms full of patients. And so darned efficient. I tip my hat to you and your confreres chat. You perform one heck of an important service and I doubt that you get the recognition that you all deserve. From one who has had to resort to emergency (despite my reluctance – damned kids and neighbours) Thank you from the bottom of my heart.
January 14, 2013 at 9:24 pm
Oh well my, my my. Lookee here who has had a change of heart on Obamacare.
January 15, 2013 at 12:02 pm
OMG, this post is a riot!! I really needed a good laugh too. Thanks Pat. We had to suffer the trials of a traditional Catholic upbringing, but these kids today have it easy! Back in my day…..
January 15, 2013 at 3:09 pm
BB@21: You know I get scared now that we are able to use that phrase “Back in my day…” Scary!!
January 15, 2013 at 3:22 pm
That was a terrific post Pat. I needed a good laugh today and it brought back some great memories. In particular it made me remember Sister Mary Helen who we all called Sister Mary Hell-on Wheels and Sister Mary Rita who we called Sister Margarita. FYI…..I don’t know if you got this advice from the good sisters, but Sister Margarita told us during physiology class that we should lay down a newspaper before sitting in a boys lap. I’m not sure exactly what that was suppose to stop, but it made for some damned interesting reading. 
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January 14, 2013 at 9:39 am
Believe it or not, Cameron flies. It;s a derivation of Camerinus, and there is a Saint Camerinus. Hayden, not so much.