My confirmation name is Elizabeth. I chose it because I loved how Elizabeth ministered to Mary. Elizabeth was so affirming to Mary and saw her quiet goodness and strength. Mary may not have sung her Magnificat had it not been for Elizabeth’s encouragement. It is a powerful story in the Bible of women helping one another, something we don’t hear a lot about.
Later on in my life, after I lost a baby, I discovered Elizabeth Ministry. This is a ministry that offers companionship during pregnancy, whether it’s without complications, with them, or there is infant loss. My involvement is partly what drew me into church and why I serve in it today. I like to think maybe Elizabeth had something to do with that.
And now, as I get older, I wonder how it was for Elizabeth to go through so much as an older woman. Having a baby late in life and a husband struck mute for a time couldn’t have been easy. She understands the changes that happen in life as an older woman, and she seems to show grace in it. I hope I can be more like that.
What is your confirmation name? Why did you choose it? How has it grown into your being through your life? Does it still fit, or would you choose another one now?
St. Kateri Tekakwitha Parish Blog 
I was confirmed when I was in 3d grade at St. Helen’s School and 9 years old. In those years, the Bishop came to the parishes for Confirmation every three years. So, we had a large Confirmation class!
I have three vivid memories of my Confirmation preparation: studying a list of 100 questions and answers about our faith because the Bishop would randomly call on a candidate and ask a question; being worried about the “slap” the Bishop would give me during the Confirmation; and the seriousness of choosing a Confirmation name.
When decision time finally came, I chose the name Cecilia for my Confirmation name.
St Cecilia is the patron of music. I always loved music. I can still vividly remember my parents taking me to the Philadelphia Orchestra at SPAC for the very first time. I had also started taking piano lessons and was hoping St Cecilia would help me through the challenges of those lessons!
I also chose the name Cecilia because it was the name of one of the Sisters of the Presentation who taught in our school and who was a frequent visitor to our home. Sr Mary Cecilia was a jovial woman who was also short and, as my late mother in law would have said, “quite stout.” As a child, I was drawn to her kindness, her laughter, and her easy way of talking about God, the Blessed Mother, and our faith. I was blessed to know her through my youth and well into adulthood. When I was in college and law school, I would often stop at St Paul’s School on my way home to have a chat with Sister Cecilia.
Although I never became a good pianist, I still love music. And I still often reflect on the many good things I learned about our faith and about being a good person from Sr Mary Cecilia.
Lovely!