There are so many times I like:

Sr. Cecilia Rose (for St. Cecilia and St. Rose of Lima) <the first name I ever thought of!
Sr. Maryam (the Aramaic way of saying Mary)
Sr. Maris Stella (I always thought this title of Our Lady was so beautiful)
Sr. Maria Concepta (for the Immaculate Conception)
Sr. Martha Maryam
Sr. Sacred Heart
Sr. Mary Magdalen or Maryam Magdalena

But, I would really love to keep my name and be Sr. Amanda Maryam.

i'd like to meet a Br. Goliath

Sister Mary Elizabeth

I may keep my baptismal name

Sr. Mary Jerome of Mary, Refuge of Sinners
Saint Jerome was a great scholar and he really struggled with his passions. Whenever he became angry he hit himself with a rock. i think the title is self-evident.

that is hilarious! and i thought jumping into a thorn bush naked was cool. i will learn more about him..

...the way I heard it was that St. Benedict jumped into a nettle bush to control his passions! Ever been stung by a nettle? It's where the word 'nettlesome' comes from. Apparently St. B was never bothered by his passions again!


Benedictine orders used to celebrate this event by making nettle soup--I pity whoever had to pick the nettles. I think that this episode is described in Rumer Godden's "In This House of Brede".

I would love to be called Sr Petra of the Divine Mercy, but as the order I'm joining doesn't use the "of the...", I'll have to settle for Sr Petra.
Fortunately we have the option of suggesting what we want our new name to be, but the final decision is up to the prioress. And as an added bonus, we're all called Benedicta as well, though this is only used in very few and official situations.

HEY! Good to see you again, Scholastica How have you been doing?

I love the Blue Sisters! Some of them have great names, which become even better when "shortened" as they tend to do. In the states I know a Sr. M. Ark of the Covenant, who the Sisters affectionately call "Ark"...
And ps- while I love Sr. M. Fragrant Rosebud, I much prefer Sr. M. Dial of Achaz, Sr. M. Honeycomb of Sampson, Sr. Mary Humble Spikenard, or Sr. Mary Golden Urn and Candelabra, which would of course be shortened to Sr. Urn

I'm sorry, Sr. Spikenard, but I'll have to go for Sr. M. New star of hope that hath risen in these latter days above the valley of ruin.

Just call me Sr. Ruin, I guess (very appropriate if you ever saw me handling breakable goods).

It would be problematic to keep my face straight during official functions. But the sisters tease me with "Maria Turris Eburnea", which doesn't sound so funny unless you know it means "Ivory Tower". (For those who don't know, I'm taller than you and look rather pasty compared to all those South American sisters.)

Maybe you should consider Maria Turris Eburnea.... It could work for you...
Ruin and Spikenard.... we'd be quite the pair, eh?
Unfortunately, as much as I adore these Sisters, I feel that I'm called to a different set of blue Sisters
Even so, the knowledge that I could have been Sr. Spikenard will always remain with me

I agree some the names are hysterical....while others make your jaw drop because they are so intense and beautiful...

I am close firends with Sr. Divino Amore-> "Divine Love",crazy right?

I know Sr. Theotokos actually, she is coool
There is a an Our lady of Peace, and of course they call her "Peace" which fits her personality perfectly.

There is a Mother of Light...awesome.

They are allowed to choose 3 but it is up to the Mother Superior...if i joined, i would just leave it in God's hands. But they are just awesome. The nicknames are hysterical though. There is a Sr. Incarnate Word and they just cal her "Word" haha.


Paz,
M

Who are these Blue Sisters? Do they have a website?

I think it would depend on my ministry. If I were teaching in a boys' high school, I'd lobby for something strong - even intimidating - like Bro. Butch of Divine Retribution or Bro. Spike of Infinite Discipline.

The Blue Sisters are the Los Servidoras del Senor y la Virgen de Matara or in English, the Servants of the Lord and the Virgin of Matara....they were founded in 1988 in Argentina...they kick major spiritual butt (i am a little biased).


There website is http://www.ssvmusa.org/

They are wonderful....their spirit is so unique and beautiful...depending on where you are from there may be a convent close by and they LOVE visitors.

Let me know if you need more info!


Paz,
M

i saw some sisters at the bronx zoo

I met some of them when I was in Australia. A TON of them went-- they were all over.

I don't think I'll ever get a name but the last of my husband, but anything with "...of the Divine Mercy" attached to it would make me quite happy.

"Mum of the Divine Mercy"? You'd better be working on your disciplining skills

My dad just informed me that his aunt was called Sr. Eulalia.

For real.
(We also have an elderly Sr. Humilia living with the Blue Sisters.)

What about Bro. Hulk of the Wrath of God?

This question is a little unfair for men - in most male orders, the newbies are not given new names. I know most Benedictines take names in religion, and the Dominicans add a religious name to one's Christian name, but most of the rest don't.

In the near future, they'll all be Bro. Kent, Bro. Blake, Bro. Clay, and Bro. Kyle.

Sigh....

I know a Br. Mary Magdalene

I'm a bit afraid to ask whether he likes his name...

Praised be Jesus Christ!
When I saw this thread, I laughed a little bit because I think I have used all possibilities of names for my children (then I saw Luigi's post...Luigi you are right! What a sad state of affairs that Catholic parents are not naming their children after Saints!) As for our children...between their first name, their middle name (and some have two) we are quickly moving into the Confirmation season and names are afloating all over the house! Naturally, last year, when our last one was born, the older ones insisted on having a voice in naming her; but it wasn't hard, for we all have a great devotion to the Little Flower. BUT! Now let's talk about those "Blue Sisters!" My goodness...what names! Just when I was feeling proud and a little bit arrogant (I know, a surprise to many of you!)....I saw their website. They put all the Catholic orders to shame. A+++++ for creativity.
TradMom

I used to suggest to Mother Assumpta that she give the name "Sr. Rosary Bede" to one of the new novices!

*crawls into a corner with her dinner and grooooooooaaaaaaaaans*

JM + JT

Hmm I could've sworn I replied in this thread or one like it at one point...

Anywho, I would request something along the lines of:

Br./Fr. Joseph Mary of Jesus

Br./Fr. Michael Mary of the Angels

I have an aunt, a Dominican, who has been Sr. Marie Angelique for decades now!

In all honesty, given a choice, I'd prefer to name myself after a saint who was not so much a leader as a good follower or supporter - a team player; it reflects who I am. Not Paul, but maybe Timothy, Barnabas, or Silas. Simon Cyrene has always appealed to me - not a stand-out disciple, just pressed into service at the last minute but did his bit as called by God. Or Dismas - the only saint we KNOW is in heaven given Jesus' words to him on the cross, and one who was aware of his own unworthiness but still had the nerve to ask Jesus to "remember me when you come into your kingdom." Or Roch (Rocco in Italian), who minstered to plague victims until he came down with it himself, then retired to the woods to die so he wouldn't infect anyone else, but God sent bread to him every day until he recovered.

In a sense, taking a religious name is an opportunity to redefine ourselves, or at least rename ourselves to express (to others) more clearly who we are. It's almost the way Native Americans named their children based on their primary characteristic or on their "vision". In some ways a name isn't all that important - it's just a way to distinguish us from other people, so the names our parents gave us will do well enough - but on the other hand, choosing a name can make us do a lot of self-analysis, and hopefully some self-realization, maybe even set some goals we want to strive for (by way of imitation).

I guess it's easier to pick - and be awarded - the name you want for yourself in a smaller community than it is in a larger community; in a large group, the name that reflects who you are/wannabe might already be taken.

How does this whole thing work,anyways? Recieving one's name, I mean. Does it vary by community?

JM + JT


Yes, it does vary by community.

The Carmelite Sisters of the Sacred Heart of Los Angeles write a letter to Mother General with three names they like and Mother chooses one of them. I think I heard she might even make up her own using ideas from the three given.

Other communities don't even submit names but are given one.

I'm sure there are some where the name is chosen by the person him/herself.

I agree. Every time you are called by your name, you get the opportunity to remember the saint you named yourself after, and strive to be more like them. And that, of course, is the most fruitful if you have a distinctive, custom-fit if you will, idea of what "more like them" should mean to you. That's why I would have trouble naming myself after St. Cecilia, to name just one example, even though I've been a choir girl since age nine, which makes her my patron saint more than any other. We know so little about her, I wouldn't know what to imitate!



I had that thought, too. Fortunately we have many, many saints, and you can also differentiate a little by adding one of the many names of Our Lady.

The other thing I was thinking: are we slowly using up the saint names? If every parent names their children after saints, and all religious take a saints' name, and someone then becomes a saint... they'll just be Yet Another Teresia or John No Not That John And Not That One Either. I know we've been adding the surnames lately, but somehow that just doesn't sound as nice.

Uh-oh...

I just had to throw in the story of St. Cecilia's death; the numerous times she was saved by angels when attempts were made on her life. For me, the thing that really attracts me most to St. Cecilia (other than being a patroness for my favorite congregation/school ) is the amazing example she set for us of truly preaching until death. She converted many while lying there - to put it bluntly - with her head just about severed, "singing praises in her heart to God," hence we have her as the patron saint of music and the arts.

Sister Therese of the (yet to be determined)

Sister Philomena of the (yet to be determined)

Perhaps I should use the Sacred Heart since I once got some water on my t-shirt and it was seriously in the shape of it.

or of the Rosary

the Eucharist

the Mass

Christ's Side Wound

In honor of the holy father. Sister Benedicta of St. Joseph

The religious Sisters of Mercy of Alma, for example, receive their name from the Mother Superior. She also gives each Sister a "mystery" for her name, or a reason why that name was chosen for her. So Sr. Michaela, who is a theologian by training, received her name because she is to be a defender of the faith. Another Sister received the name of a martyr, and was told one of her mysteries was to contemplate death. Another Sister's name means "servant of Mary" and her mystery is humility and service to/love of the Blessed Mother. Many of the Sisters have told me that the names have grown on them as they have meditated on the mystery of their own name. They all say it seems to be a special way of the Holy Spirit speaking to their hearts.
The Servidoras, on the other hand, I think can submit some names, but because there are so many Sisters with similar names, they often receive their name from Mother as well (or at least that's how I understood it).

That said, each community is different. For some communities, like the Salesian Sisters, it is part of their charism to keep their baptismal name.

Hope that helps!
In Jesus and Mary,
Lauren

Sister Mary Jordan *Flutters*

Haha! There are still enough pagan names... Perhaps in a hundred years there'll be some St. Kevins and St. Jessicas. But for the Carmelites it seems to be practically a requirement for sanctity to be named Teresa, which must be tough on the other 15 nuns in the convent who aren't named Teresa.

Alter, Bl. Jordan is so wonderful!

Well, if I am elected Pope, I have narrowed my regnal name down to two choices...

1. Zozimus II (What a cool name - plus Pope St. Zozimus I was cool he put down a few heresies)
2. Innocent XIV

That is a cracking name!

If I ever wake up male and then become Pope I'd totally be Linus II.

Yes I'm a geek.

Actually, Kevin has been a saint for fifteen hundred years or so - follower & good friend of St. Patrick. And Jessica is probably a Latin feminine (and maybe diminuitive?) form of Jesse.

But it does raise the point - a lot of names that we now associate with saints started out as pagan names. When the pagan converted to Christianity and was later canonized, the pagan name got "baptized" as it were. There's really no reason that has to stop (for the Blakes and Kyles of the world), but in terms of choosing a religious name, the tradition is to choose the name that's already been "baptized."

Yeah for me . . .
The future Saint Jessica!!!

I know earlier I posted some names...but the name I truly desire to have is:.......






Sister Mary Catherine of the Eucharistic Heart of Jesus

A friend of mine mentioned the option of picking the name you had planned for your future child(ren), should they ever come along. Which would make me Sr. Maria David Michael Mattheus Marcus Lucas Johannes. But I think I'll have to chew on that for a little while yet.

That would make me Sr. Scotland....

Whats that for? LOL

I do not think there is a risk for that. If you consider the popes, they usually do not pick unique esoteric names, but rather common names of previous popes -- usually only differentiated by surname I, II, III, etc. (It is a certain tradition, that is to say; "I am not inventing something new or novel, but I am remembering my past and where we came from.")

As an aside, it is interesting to note that in today's age, we tend to think a name is just a name. However, in the Old Testament and early Christian Church, names had a profound meaning on who a person was to become. When Jesus renamed Simon Peter as Kephas, the rock, his name dictated who he was to become. Similarly, Saints who have chosen the surname "of the cross", usually later experienced great crosses in their lives. There is usually always a direct correlation to a chosen name, and the future life of the person (presuming the person lives a holy and devout life).

This is why it is so important that we choose a name carefully.



I think there is much truth to this.

Blessings.

Besides, there are loads of saints' names that for one reason or another aren't taken in religion. Maybe someone doesn't like the look of the names of the old English saints (can't imagine why, I think they're great, but then I'm a wierdo). It's just a question of digging, maybe