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A child is to be given Christian name (at least as a
middle name) -- the name of a Saint -- when baptized
(and is to take a
Saint's name when confirmed, also).
This was once written into the 1917 Code of Canon Law: Canon 761, "If
the parish priest cannot induce the parents to do so, he should add the
name of some saint to that suggested by the parents and enter both in
the baptismal register."
The 1983 Code of Canon Law, Canon 855, doesn't specify that a Saint's
name be given, but does state: "Parents, sponsors and parish priests
are to take care that a name is not given which is foreign to Christian
sentiment."
In any case, receiving a Saint's name at Baptism
is the ancient practice of the Church, as witnessed by St. John
Chrysostom (A.D. 347-407) in his Homilies on First Corinthians, XII
verse XIII , in which he complains about those who don't follow the
practice of the "ancients":
Then after the
marriage if perchance a child is born, in this case again we shall see
the same folly and many practices full of absurdity. For when the time
is come for giving the infant a name, caring not to call it after the
Saints as the ancients at first did, they light lamps and give them
names, and name the child after that one which continues burning the
longest; from thence conjecturing that he will live a long time.
So, why do we
name our children after Saints as "the ancients" did? Because when a
child is named after a Saint, he is given a patron, a protector, and
someone to model himself after. Naming a child is no small matter! When
naming a child, have a specific Saint in mind. For example, if you name
your child John, there are a thousand "St. Johns" (St. John the
Baptist, St. John the Evangelist, St. John of the Cross, St. John
Bosco, etc.), but only one "Saint John" who will be your child's
special patron. Then teach your child about his patron, teach him to
ask for his prayers, give your child statues or other icons of his
protector, etc. And celebrate that child's Name Day.
A Name Day (onomastico in
Italian and Spanish) is the Feast Day of a Saint for whom one is named.
In some
families, Name Days are treated as more important than birthdays -- or
are celebrated instead of birthdays. If at all possible, the
family should attend Mass on a family member's Name Day.
Among adults, Name Days are informal get-togethers celebrated like an
adult's birthday party, and they most often center around dessert. It
is customary in Eastern European countries to decorate the door of the
person whose Name Day it is, and to use flowers and ribbons to decorate
the chair he will use at the dining room table. He is made to wear a
sash over his
shoulder, tied at the waist, with his Saint's name on it, and is lifted
up in his decorated chair three times. For the entire day, he is
generally fussed over, fêted, and spoiled.
For children, Name Days are usually celebrated in the same way one
would celebrate a child's birthday -- but with a focus on the child's
Saint and the child's relationship to him or her.
Cakes and/or cookies (see recipe below) are baked in shapes symbolic of
their Saint (lamb for St. Agnes; musical notes for David, Pope Gregory
the Great, or Cecilia; chalice or eagle for John the Divine, wolves for
Francis, etc.). A laminated Holy Card of
the Saint (wiped with alcohol or bleach, then cleaned well in soapy
water) can be placed on a cake, secured by icing piped around its edges
and decorated further with flowers and symbols of the Saint made of icing or
marzipan (see recipe below). The card will serve as a nice little
keepsake afterwards.
Sugar cookie dough can not only be cut into the shapes of Saints'
symbols, but they can be cut into squares and, with edible paint
(recipes below), painted with scenes of the relevant Saint's life. They
can be arranged in order on a platter so they can be "read" as a sort
of saintly cookie comic book.
White chocolate can be melted in a double boiler over very low heat (the chocolate
shouldn't get hotter than 115 degrees F) and poured into molds in the
shape of various symbols. These can be used as is, or used to decorate
cakes and cookies. The chocolate can be tinted, as well: once it's
melted, use powdered or oil-based food dyes (if using oil-based dye,
make sure to warm it up first: place it in a plastic bag, squeeze the
air out of the bag, and submerge the bag in hot water for about 5
minutes. The dye and the chocolate have to be roughly the same
temperature or the chocolate may seize up). Let the molds harden at
room temperature, then chill in the fridge for an hour or so.
Room and table decorations can reflect Saint's symbols, colors (blue
for Mary; green
for Joseph; red for martyrs and Cardinals; white for virgins and Popes;
purple for Bishops; black and white for a Dominican patron; black for
priests, brown for a Franciscan patron, etc.), mottoes, affiliation
with a religous Order, ethnic heritage (fleurs-de-lys for French
patrons; provincial coats of arms for Italian patrons, etc.), etc. It
would be very nice if at least one special item (e.g., a small statue
or icon, a specially decorated candle, a special plate, 1 etc.) could be brought out only on the
child's Name Day; this helps make the day special and gives to the day
a sense of continuity and family tradition, in the same way that many
families have that "one special Christmas ornament" that "must" be put
on the Christmas tree or it's "just not Christmas." Pinatas in the shape of one of the Saints'
symbols can be made, too.
Music, entertainments, food, and drinks relevant to the patron's life,
heritage and historical era could be used as well Use your imagination!
Some Saints have foods or drinks "built-in" to their story -- e.g., the
wine blessed on the Feast of St. John the Evangelist called the "Love
of St. John," Speculaas cookies on St. Nicholas's Day, Lussekatter on
St. Lucy's Day, the foods of the "tavola di San Giuse" on St. Joseph's
Day, etc. (read about some of these customs in the Seasonal Customs section of this site). For
other Saints, you might have to free-associate a little more; for ex.,
St. Barbara is associated with the custom of "Barbarazweig" -- of
bringing the branches of cherry trees indoors so they will blossom. So,
for a child named Barbara, a dessert made of cherries would be nice!
"Angelfood" cake for a child name Michael or Gabriel would work. St.
Matthew was a tax collector, so cookies cut into coin shapes and
decorated like ancient Roman coins would work... There's even a
Sicilian cookie called "Nun's Sighs" (recipe below) for all those girls
named after a woman religious. You get the idea.
If your child's Saint is celebrated in the Liturgy, you can use the
feast day's Collects as a prayer at the day's celebrations (see your Missal). If the Saint
doesn't have a special liturgy, use one of the
Collects below:
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If the Saint
is:
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| A Man and... |
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A Pope
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Eternal
Shepherd, regard graciously Thy flock, and keep it with an everlasting
protection, by the intercession of blessed N____ thy Sovereign Pontiff,
whom Thou has constituted Shepherd of the whole Church. Through our
Lord Jesus Christ, Thy Son, Who liveth and reigneth with Thee in the
unity of the Holy Ghost, one God, world without end. |
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A Martyr
Bishop and his feast falls outside of Paschaltide
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Look down upon
our weakness, almighty God; and since the weight of our own deeds bears
us down, may the glorious intercession of blessed N____, Thy Bishop and
Martyr, protect us. Through our Lord Jesus Christ, Thy Son, Who liveth
and reigneth with Thee in the unity of the Holy Ghost, one God, world
without end. |
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A Martyr
Bishop and his feast falls during Paschaltide
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O God, Who dost
gladden us by the annual feast of blessed N____, Thy Martyr and Bishop:
mercifully grant that we who celebrate his heavenly birthday may also
rejoice in his protection. Through our Lord Jesus Christ, Thy Son, Who
liveth and reigneth with Thee in the unity of the Holy Ghost, one God,
world without end. |
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A Martyr Not
a Bishop and his feast falls outside of Paschaltide
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Grant, we
beseech Thee, almighty God, that we, who celebrate the heavenly
birthday of blessed N____, Thy Martry, may, through his intercession,
be strengthened in the love of Thy Name. Through our Lord Jesus Christ,
Thy Son, Who liveth and reigneth with Thee in the unity of the Holy
Ghost, one God, world without end. |
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A Martyr not
a Bishop and his feast falls during Paschaltide
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Grant, we
beseech Thee, almighty God: that through the intercession of blessed
N____, Thy Martyr, we may be delivered from all adversity that may
happen to the body, and may be cleansed in mind of evil thoughts.
TThrough our Lord Jesus Christ, Thy Son, Who liveth and reigneth with
Thee in the unity of the Holy Ghost, one God, world without end. |
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A Confessor
Bishop
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Hear our prayer,
we beseech Thee, O Lord, which we present to Thee, on the feast of the
blessed N____, Thy Confessor and Bishop; and by his interceding merits,
who was found worthy to serve Thee, absolve us from all our sins.
Through our Lord Jesus Christ, Thy Son, Who liveth and reigneth with
Thee in the unity of the Holy Ghost, one God, world without end. |
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A Doctor of
the Church
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O God, Who didst
give blessed N____ as a minister of eternal salvation to Thy people,
grant, we beseech Thee, that we, who have had him for our teacher on
earth, may deserve to have him for our advocate in Heaven. Through our
Lord Jesus Christ, Thy Son, Who liveth and reigneth with Thee in the
unity of the Holy Ghost, one God, world without end. |
|
A Confessor
not a Bishop
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O God, Who dost
gladden us by the annual feast of blessed N____, Thy Confessor:
mercifully grant that we may follow the example of his life, whose
heavenly birthday we celebrate. Through our Lord Jesus Christ, Thy Son,
Who liveth and reigneth with Thee in the unity of the Holy Ghost, one
God, world without end. |
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An Abbot
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May the
intercession of blessed N____ the Abbot, commend us unto Thee, we
beseech Thee, O Lord: so that what we may not have by any merits of
ours, we may obtain by his patronage. Through our Lord Jesus Christ,
Thy Son, Who liveth and reigneth with Thee in the unity of the Holy
Ghost, one God, world without end. |
| A Woman and... |
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A Martyr,
Virgin or not
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O God, Who among
the other marvels of Thy power, hast granted even to the weaker sex the
victory of martyrdom: mercifully grant: that we who celebrate the
heavenly birthday of blessed N____, Thy Martry, may, be her example
draw nearer to Thee. Through our Lord Jesus Christ, Thy Son, Who liveth
and reigneth with Thee in the unity of the Holy Ghost, one God, world
without end. |
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A Virgin not
a Martyr
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Hear us, O God,
our Savior: that as we rejoice in the feast of blessed N____, Thy
Virgin: so we may be taught by its devotion towards Thee. Through our
Lord Jesus Christ, Thy Son, Who liveth and reigneth with Thee in the
unity of the Holy Ghost, one God, world without end. |
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A Holy Woman
not a Martyr
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Hear us, O God,
our Savior; that as we rejoice in the feast of blessed N____, so we may
learn therefrom loving devotion towards Thee. Through our Lord Jesus
Christ, Thy Son, Who liveth and reigneth with Thee in the unity of the
Holy Ghost, one God, world without end. |
If you weren't christened with a proper Christian name, you can use the
name you took at Confirmation.
If your Baptismal name is not strictly a Saint's Name, chances are it
is a derivative of one or of a Marian Feast's name, etc. For ex., my
name is "Tracy," which is a derivative of "Teresa," so St. Teresa of
Avila is my patron. "Dolores" means "Sorrows," so the Feast of the 7
Sorrows would be Dolores's Name Day. "Loretta" is a derivative of
"Loreto," so Our Lady of Loreto's Day would be her Feast Day. "Betty,"
"Bette," and "Lizzie" are derivatives of Elizabeth, etc.
Recipes
Sugar Cookies to cut into shapes, with various options for
decorating
This is a good, all-purpose cookie for Name Day parties, a basic sugar
cookie that can be cut into wonderful shapes:
1 cup butter
2 cups sugar
2 egg
3 teaspoons of vanilla or almond extract
4 cups sifted all-purpose flour
2/3 teaspoon baking soda
2/3 teaspoon salt
2 teaspoon baking powder
2/3 cup commercial sour cream
For decorating:
Option 1:
Colored Granulated Sugars to use before baking:
To make colored sugar:
1/4 cup granulated sugar (or sanding sugar)
a few drops to approx. 1/2 teaspoon food coloring (any color)
In a small jar with a tight lid, add the sugar and food coloring. Shake
until thoroughly combined. Add more color if you need a darker hue, and
shake again until you get the shade you want. Spread colored sugar on a
parchment-lined cookie sheet in a very thin, even layer and allow to
dry completely. Alternatively, you can bake it at your oven's
very lowest setting -- likely around 170°F -- for 10 min. or
so. If you put it in the oven, let it cool before use. Will keep as
long as sugar does.
Option 2: Matte Cookie Paint to use before
baking:
1 egg yolk for each color
1/4 tsp water for each color
food colorings
Option 3: Stained Glass Cookies formed before
baking:
Lifesaver candies, separated by color, crushed inside plastic baggies
Option 4: Glossy Cookie Paint to use after
baking:
2 Tbsp corn syrup for each color
food colorings
Option 5: Creamier-type Cookie Frosting to use
after baking:
4 cups confectioners sugar
1/2 cup butter
5 tablespoons milk
2 teaspoons vanilla or 1 tsp almond extract
food coloring (optional)
Option 6: Royal Icing added after baking (dries
hard so cookies can be stacked):
4 egg whites
4 cups sifted confectioners' sugar
1 teaspoon or two of lemon, vanilla, or almond extract
food coloring (optional)
Cream butter.
Gradually add sugar and beat until light, creamy, and fluffy. Beat in
egg and vanilla. Sift together flour, soda, salt and baking powder. Add
to creamed mixture alternately with sour cream. Chill dough overnight.
Roll out half the dough 1/8-inch thick on a lightly floured board or
pastry cloth. Keep remaining dough chilled until ready to be rolled.
Cut the dough into symbolic designs (to keep them uniform, use cookie
cutters or make a cardboard template you can cut around).
Now choose one of the options above and follow directions below:
Option 1:
Sprinkle with colored granulated sugar, then bake (see below).
Option 2:
Mix Cookie Paint ingredients in different cups for different colors,
and paint on to cookies with clean watercolor paintbrushes (Cookie
Paint will produce a matte finish). Then bake (see below).
Option 3:
Cut cookies into shapes. Lay the cookies on a parchment-lined cookie
sheet. Cut smaller shapes and patterns out of the insides of the
cookies on the sheet. Fill the spaces cut out from the cookie with the
crushed lifesavers. Bake as usual (see below).
Option 4:
Bake first (see below), then cool totally. Mix Option 3 ingredients --
once in different cups for different colors -- and apply with
watercolor paintbrushes, letting each color dry throroughly before
applying the next color. Let sit to dry overall before serving.
Option 5:
Bake first (see below), then cool totally. Cream together the
confectioners' sugar and shortening until smooth. Gradually mix in the
milk and vanilla with an electric mixer until smooth and stiff, about 5
minutes. Add coloring, if desired. Use more milk if not soft enough.
Option 6:
Bake first (see below), then cool totally. Beat egg whites in clean,
large bowl with mixer at high speed until foamy. Gradually add sugar
and extract. Beat at high speed until thickened. Add coloring, if
desired. Spread, or pipe on to cookies using pastry bag (Caution: this
icing dries quickly; keep bowl covered while icing cookies).
To bake off the
cookies: Place on a greased or parchment-lined baking sheet. Bake at
350 degrees for 5 to 8 minutes.
Nun's Sighs
3 egg whites, egg at room temperature
1/4 teaspoon cream of tartar
1/2 cup granulated sugar
1 cup minus 2 tablespoons powdered sugar
1 tsp of your favorite flavoring (almond, vanilla, etc.) or 1/2 tsp
instant coffee
few drops of food coloring (optional)
Heat oven to 1750F. Beat whites 'til foamy, then add in
tartar and granulated sugar and beat to stiff peaks. Beat in powdered
sugar and any flavoring (and coloring) you're using to very stiff
peaks. Pipe onto parchment-lined baking sheets, using a decorative tip,
so they're as big around as a fifty-cent piece. Bake for two and a half
to three hours.Store in airtight container.
Marzipan
2 cups of
confectioners’ sugar
½ pound of very finely ground blanched almonds or prepared almond paste
2 egg whites
½ teaspoon of salt
½ teaspoon of almond extract
Food colorings (see recipe)
Blend all of the ingredients but food colorings together until smooth
and completely blended together. Wrap or cover tightly and chill until
firm. Let come to room temperature, then divide dough as needed, add
any liquid coloring, if using, a very few drops at a time to desired
color. Knead until blended and then form into shapes. Or form into
shapes before coloring, then paint with liquid food colorings added to
water. Or, form into shapes before coloring, and then use powdered food
coloring, let dry for 6 hours, and then set the colors by holding the
marzipans over steam for a few seconds (this method is said to make the
best-looking marzipan).
Tips:
Shape into roses
and other flowers, Saints' symbols, liturgical symbols, Christmas
symbols (stars, ornaments, trees, wreaths, poinsettia, Christmas
Roses), Easter symbols (eggs, bells, lilies), fruits, vegetables,
letters, numbers, etc. Alternatively, roll flat and cut using cookie
cutters.
Use toothpicks to make creases, dimples or designs.
Gently roll shapes against graters, mashers, tea strainers,
toothbrushes (reserved for the purpose, of course), etc., for textural
effects.
Cloves can be used for stems top or bottom on fruit shapes.
Cocoa powder works well for making the color brown.
Marzipan shapes or balls can be dipped in mixture of 16 oz. Hershey's
special dark chocolate and 5 squares unsweetened chocolate melted
together (in double boiler or microwave).
Footnotes
1 You can get
plain plates (clear, white, or one-colored) that are able to withstand
being heated to around 300o F, decorate them using paints
made to use on porcelain or ceramics, and bake until the paint is set.
These sorts of paints are available at crafts stores (one example is a
paint called "Porcelaine," made by the Pebeo Company). Paints that are
baked onto the surface of the plate will be more durable than those
that are air-dried. Make sure that any paints you use are non-toxic and
able to come into contact with food. If you use clear plates and lack
artistic talent, you can place a design underneath and trace it on the
top surface. You can also get chemicals with which to etch glass. Just
visit your local craft store and look for "Armour Etch" or a similar
product.
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