I know that at a lot of communities religious get new names once they become novices. If you could choose a religious name for yourself what would it be? I don't know what mine would be. I've thought of it before and tried to get creative about it but am undecided.

This is one of my favorite questions to answer!!!!!! Ok these would be mine:
Sister Ave Maria (all time favorite)
Sister Maria Faustina Or Just Sister Faustina
Sister Anastasia
OR something with Veritas or Caritas

I have many more, but these are just my favorite.

I like Sister Mary Magdalen or Sister Elizabeth Ann.

i haven't really shared this with many, but the times i have thought about this i came up with..

Brother/Father John Mary.
Brother/Father Simon Mary.

the reasons are many and varied, and no, not just because my name is already John

i know someone named Ave Maria. i was astonished when i first met her..

Good question. Maybe Brother Paschal of the Holy Trinity.

Ave Maria? I have never heard of that being a Baptismal name before! What a beautiful name! If I were to have kids I would definetly name one that!

There is a thread on this but ok, I'll bite again.

Sr. Mary Peter of the Passion
For my home parish(Please pray for it, we are down to ONE Mass with visiting priests) and to suffer for souls.

Sr. Mary Margaret of the Sacred Heart
For my devotion to the Most Sacred Heart of Jesus

Sr. Mary Bernadette of the Infant Jesus
I love the saint and the Infant Jesus

or any combination of the above.

But that is up to our Lord what he wishes to call me when I become 'engaged' to him

I would have liked to have been called Sr. Damien Rose of the Heart of Jesus. A tad fancy but I am devoted to Father Damien Saintourens founder of the Dominican Nuns of the Perpetual Rosary.

Wow. I've never really thought about this and I can't say that I have an immediate answer. I would say Sr. Teresa Benedicta, lol. But I need to think a lot more about this and come back to you.

How about Sr. Mary Kayla the magnificent?

Pope Benedict XVII! Just kidding. I'm married so its too late for that. I like Brother Abercius Mary Ignatius

I'll give a name for you

Sister Mary Francesca of the Saving Victim

Sister Bernadette-Marie of the Mother of God

what's the story behind the suffix "of the so-and-so"? seems more religious females have that than males..

Br/Fr Robert (taking the name of the founder isn't too audacious, is it?)

Br/Fr Peter Ignatius (my silver-white on flaming-red)

Br/Fr Jeremiah

Br/Fr Ezekiel

Sister Teresa of Avila
(Because I have great devotion to her)

or

Sister John of the Cross
(because I've read a lot of his writings and in my own personal way can relate to what he has written)

I think it is a common practice with the Carmelites. There may be others, I don't know.

Sister Therese of the Infant Jesus!

I don't think Dominicans do that- but I'm not entirely sure.

I would take Sr. Pauline Therese in a split second. My second choice would be Sr. Martha Therese. My third choice would be Sr. Therese Magnificat.

Blessed the Year of Saint Paul .

They don't.

I answered this in the other thread someone made, but I thought of another one that I like more than the others.

Sister Siena Marie or Sister Siena Rose.

I think it was probably mine. Siena is such a pretty name.

Dominicans, indeed, do take a title with their name. Check out Moniales blog and see some of the names of the Sisters.

Thank you Alicemary, I guess Maria Faustina and I are just thinking of the Active Dominican orders we are more familiar with.

My choice would be Sr. Mary Colette, Sr. Mary Margaret or Sr. Mary Helen and to any of those I would add of the Holy Trinity.

Sr. Maria Johanna
Sr. Maria Felicitas
Sr. Maria Aurelia
Sr. Maria Regina

i've definitely answered this before, but why not...
I used to be really set on Sr. Anthony Therese Mariae, but recently I've been very drawn to Sr. Vincent Marie.
The order I've been discerning with doesn't do titles, but if I could pick one, it would be "of the infant Jesus", "of Jesus, the Eternal High Priest", or "of Mary, Mother of Priests." Actually, in the order I've been discerning with, you don't choose your name, either.... but still, there are stories of Sisters "knowing" what their name would be in their heart before they were named by Mother.

That's what I was going to say! Maria Johanna is my name anyway, and I'm growing in appreciation for it. Mary and John, at the foot of the cross...

In my case it'd be rather John Baptist. And nameday would be 29th of August, the feast of the beheading.

I know some Dominican nuns who have titles.

I don't really know. I've thought about John, or Boniface, but in all honesty I haven't given it much thought. I'm more focused on discerning the community before I discern the name!

edit: oh, and Benedict! How could I have forgotten Benedict!

a former phatmasser--abidingsoul, a.k.a. Jaimie, now a postulant with Sr. Rose Therese's Franciscan community, is looking for some religious name help. Looks like she will become a novice in just a few more weeks. Maybe you all could give her some suggestions--she has a blog, I just don't remember it offhand. You could do a search under Franciscan Sisters Peoria and probably come up with it.

the blog is http:blog.franciscansisterspeoria.org

I'll ask PP to post it once the time's right

Some girls seem to have their name picked even before they enter! I've thought about a few, but the communities I've been discerning with only let you enter three and they'll pick.

I rather like the idea of letting my parents help choosing the three. They did a great job with my name the first time around, so why not the second?

I think its something akin to seeing how someone's last name would sound with your first, or saying, if I had a daughter, I'd like to name her .... (and I have those too). Who knows, maybe if, by the grace of God, I ever got to the point of choosing a name, it'd be completely different, but for now the saints I've chosen reflect who I am and who I'm striving to become... they're saints that for some reason or another I can relate to (and I guarantee you that reason is not my sanctity...

Those are all sensible points. I think most people would go over the saints they can relate most to, and then choose the one that sounds the best

I'd like to drop the use of my last name entirely if it was at all possible. According to legend my four-year-old self was already stating she'd "marry someone with a really nice surname". Mine is only one syllable but still manages to be impossible to pronounce for anyone who isn't Dutch, and an infinite source of jokes for anyone who is.

As I am still discerning between 2-3 orders, I had these names in mind:

- I love the Poor Clare Colettines and Cleveland monastery I visited twice has a nun who has the name I love, Sr.
Chiara Francesca! I also thought of Sr. Maria Ortolana - after the mother of St. Clare as she was a mother as am
I.

- I love Carmel and thought of St. Teresa Benedicta - as I love her and we both have much in common - just that
I am not a saint! And Sr. Marie Angelique (name of a wonderful nun in her bio "Flame of Joy", Carmel of
Pontoise, France) and who doesn't love the Sr. Teresa of Jesus and Sr. Therese names!

- I love the cloistered Dominicans - Sr. Maria Agnes (from St. Agnes of Montepulciano, cloistered Dominican nun)
and of course the Sr. Mary Dominic, Sr. Mary Rose (of Lima), etc.

To these the titles I have devotions to are: "of the Holy Wounds", "of the Holy Face", "of the Precious Blood", "of the Infant Jesus", "of the Cross", "of Jesus" and saw somewhere "of Our Lady's Tears".

One name that I've loved is Sister Mary Anthony of the Infant Jesus. God willing, He will make me His.

are those boots in your avatar? i wonder if there are any militant-type of sisters, and what good names there would be for them

I know it's really but...

How about Sr. Joan Marie, for St. Joan of Arc who, following the Lord's command, let the French troops.
Sr. Mary Michael- St. Michael battled Satan
Sr. Clare or Sr. Chiara after St. Clare who faced an attacking army armed only with the Eucharist
Sr. Mary Ignatius- Ignatius was a soldier who left his sword at the altar of Our Lady of Monserrant
Sr. Mary Francis- Francis of Assisi participated in a Crusade
if they were navy: Sr. Maris Stella, for our Lady, Star of the Sea

Title: "of Our Lady, Mother of Mercy"- because no one should fight without mercy
(random fact: our Lady of Mercy is the patroness of the armies of Argentina...)

Ok, now back to regularly scheduled programming (I clearly have too much time on my hands...)

Sister Bernadette of the Immaculate Conception...or of the Most Holy Trinity

I used to glance at this thread and think it was silly, but since St Anthony stepped into my life in a calm yet unmistakable way I'm thinking of something with his name like Sr Mary Anthony. I like "of the Cross" too, very much. I don't think the sisters I'm looking at do titles though, unless they keep them very well hidden... they string together a lot of names instead, I remember a Sr Maria Raphaela Therese, and Maria Eucaristia Pia.

I always wonder how large communities of missionaries choose names... they must have a list of every living Sister so that they don't have doubles, and have a new name for each new Sister (I'm guessing). Can you imagine!?

I like Sister Gianna or Monica of...I hadn't come to the last part yet

In the Carmelites DCJ it varies by province, I think. There are 2 Sr. Mary Michaels: Sr. Mary Michael of Jesus Crucified in the Central Province and Sr. Mary Michael of the Holy Family in the Northern Province. Maybe other orders do this as well??

The Servants of the Lord and the Virgin of Matara do seem to have a master list - a girl I know (in Europe) was heavily disappointed that there's already a Sr. Theotokos (in the States), so she couldn't have that name. There are "doubles" in different languages, though, there's a Sr. Stella Maris and a Sr. Sterre der Zee, at the very least.

Maybe the DCJ's see it as different names because their titles are different?

Hm, I can understand the disappointment. "Sr. Theotokos" has a je ne sais quoi that "Zr. Moeder Gods" doesn't quite...capture.

Hmm, this is such a toughy because there are a few I'd love to have :-) In no particular order...

Sister Mary Cecilia of Divine Praises (for Bl. Cecilia, O.P.)
Sister Mary Veronica of Divine Love or Compassion
Sister Mary Frassati (of I'm not sure) lol any thoughts????

Sister Mary Veronica is probably my favorite...

I know a very cool Sr. Veronica, so I'm automatically partial to Sr. Mary Veronica

For any aspiring Blue Sisters: check this page out. I'm afraid I find some of them quite hilarious. Although Sr. Fragrant Rosebud does have a certain ring to it...

If I go blue I'd like:
Sr. M. Aurora Lucis (because she brought forth the Light)
Sr. M. Troosteres der Bedroefden (Comfort of the Sorrowful)
Sr. M. Iuxta Crucem (a good life philosophy!)

If I go Dominican... well, the jury's still out.

If I could pick a name it would have to be Sr. Marie Therese, my grandmother was a nun for a few years and her name was Sr. Therese (my favorite saint), and I love momma Mary so I would be honored to have her name.

hm thanks for reminding me! St. Anthony has been very active in my life this past year, some of which he's followed me all around the world and even to Italy, after which i decided to enter religious life. so then i must add

Br./Fr. Anthony Mary, Franciscan Friar of the ...
Br./Fr. Simon Mary, Franciscan Friar of the ...
Br./Fr. John Mary, Franciscan Friar of the ...

i want them all. is there a limit to the number of names we can have?

Thought provoking, very. I like them.

As for me, God knew all along that if/when I enter "my" community I'll have the wonderful name my parents chose for me on the day of my birth!