Patron Saints

[peregrinus2017]

Thought it might be neat to have people tell who their patron saint is and why they chose or were given their name, and maybe a bit about them.
My patron Saint is John the Theologian. His repose was celebrated yesterday (on the new calendar). Becoming Orthodox as an adult I chose him (or he chose me) with the approval of my Priest. I hope to one day be able to truly love and truly pray.

Troparion — Tone 2​

O Apostle beloved of Christ God, / hasten to deliver a defenceless people.
/ He Who permitted you to recline on His breast / receives you as you bow before Him;
/ entreat Him, O Theologian, / to dispel the persistence of the heathen,
and to grant us peace and great mercy.

Kontakion — Tone 2​

(Original Melody)
Who can tell of your greatness, / O virgin disciple?
/ You pour forth miracles, and are a fountain of healing,
/ and you intercede for our souls as a Theologian and the friend of Christ.

 

[ArmyMatt]

mine is St Matthew because that’s what my parents named me.

 

[Prodigal7]

I am not sure who my saint is. I was baptized as an infant but am returing to the church after a long time away. I feel no connection to Saint Christopher. I have been reading some writing by Saint Seraphim of Sarov. I guess I am too new to know who my patron saint will be, I am looking forward to having one.

 

[Dewi Sant]

mine is my birth name, and the name I was christened as a baby in the Church of England.
I did want a fancy 'Orthodox' name, but fortunately my godfather saw through my [misplaced?] intentions.
I guess 'Constantine' is an odd name for someone living in Wales

 

[The Liturgist]

mine is St Matthew because that’s what my parents named me.

I love St. Matthew. He along with St. John is one of the two members of the 12 who was also an Evangelist (although if I recall St. Luke was a member of the Seventy, and the Cenacle according to a tradition which I believe, was the upstairs of the house of St. Mark the Evangelist).

By the way I suspect the site where the Crusaders built a church probably is the tomb of King David, as the Jews claim, and that the actual Cenacle is the upper level housing the church in the building that is the Syriac Orthodox Monastery of St. Mark, as the size of that structure and its location seem to me to be more prominent, and it seems like the Crusaders might have inadvertently selected the location of a flamboyant mosque or a ruined church and jumped to the conclusion that it was the Cenacle, and perhaps some locals believed it, and perhaps the Syriac Orthodox gained control of the original during the confusion that followed the initial Muslim conquest of the Hagiopolis.

Of course, I will admit that I have a certain bias, in that I would rather believe that the Upper Room is in the hands of a church which is closely allied to us, particularly to the Antiochian Orthodox. As I mentioned to some of you, it was actually a sermon by Metropolitan Philip Saliba, memory eternal, that convinced me that I should go ahead and join the Orthodox Church.

By the way, due to some strange historical anomaly, I have never had a close friend by the name of James, or Jacob, although there was a kindergartener named Jacob at the parochial school where I attended third grade.

 

[The Liturgist]

I am not sure who my saint is. I was baptized as an infant but am returing to the church after a long time away. I feel no connection to Saint Christopher. I have been reading some writing by Saint Seraphim of Sarov. I guess I am too new to know who my patron saint will be, I am looking forward to having one.

Suppose your father-confessor deems that St. Christopher the Christ-bearer is the most appropriate patron saint for you? Would you be able to accept that?

Sometimes you will get a new name, for example, when Metropolitan Kallistos Ware, whose name was Timothy and who kept that name when being baptized into the Greek Orthodox Church, but later, when he joined the Monastery of St. John on the Island Patmos, received the name Kallistos, meaning “Beautiful”. A lot of people who get new names when they convert to Orthodoxy wind up with new names because their prior name is not the name of an Orthodox saint, and they also lacked a middle name who was someone who we venerate, although my understanding is that some Orthodox churches care about this more than others. If you have a name that does not match anyone on the liturgical calendar, your name day is All Saints Day, while in the Greek Orthodox Church, they have a lovely custom wherein if you are a lady named for a flower, your name day is Pentecost. Many people who become monks, or when they are ordained as bishops, do receive a new name at that time. For example, the current bishop of ACROD, the American Carpatho-Rusyn Orthodox Diocese, took on the name Gregory when he was consecrated to that office, because he was made the bishop of the titular diocese of Nyssa and he is a great admirer of St. Gregory of Nyssa.

 

[ArmyMatt]

I love St. Matthew. He along with St. John is one of the two members of the 12 who was also an Evangelist (although if I recall St. Luke was a member of the Seventy, and the Cenacle according to a tradition which I believe, was the upstairs of the house of St. Mark the Evangelist).

By the way I suspect the site where the Crusaders built a church probably is the tomb of King David, as the Jews claim, and that the actual Cenacle is the upper level housing the church in the building that is the Syriac Orthodox Monastery of St. Mark, as the size of that structure and its location seem to me to be more prominent, and it seems like the Crusaders might have inadvertently selected the location of a flamboyant mosque or a ruined church and jumped to the conclusion that it was the Cenacle, and perhaps some locals believed it, and perhaps the Syriac Orthodox gained control of the original during the confusion that followed the initial Muslim conquest of the Hagiopolis.

Of course, I will admit that I have a certain bias, in that I would rather believe that the Upper Room is in the hands of a church which is closely allied to us, particularly to the Antiochian Orthodox. As I mentioned to some of you, it was actually a sermon by Metropolitan Philip Saliba, memory eternal, that convinced me that I should go ahead and join the Orthodox Church.

By the way, due to some strange historical anomaly, I have never had a close friend by the name of James, or Jacob, although there was a kindergartener named Jacob at the parochial school where I attended third grade.

interesting

 

[FenderTL5]

Edward the Martyr

The holy and right-believing King Edward the Martyr (c. 962 – March 18, 978/979) succeeded his father Edgar of England as King of England in 975, but was murdered after a reign of only a few years. As the murder was attributed to "irreligious" opponents, whereas Edward himself was considered a good Christian, he was glorified as Saint Edward the Martyr in 1001; he may also be considered a passion-bearer. His feast day is celebrated on March 18...

Edward is my given name and the uncovering of his relics is commemorated on February 13 (which is my birthday).

 

[Light of the East]

After I came to the conclusion that it was impossible to be "Orthodox in Communion with Rome," I was ready, four years ago, to make the move to Orthodoxy. There was one small problem - Elizabeth is very much set in her Roman Catholic faith, and when I made the suggestion of becoming Orthodox, she was . . . well, did you see that mushroom cloud over Fairfax County? It was most certainly a big no with her, so I put it aside and kept trying to be Orthodox as best I could as an Eastern Catholic.

At the beginning of the Covid scare, I read a little about St. Paisios of Athos. It occurred to me to ask his prayers for the way to Orthodoxy be opened to me.

And here I am. What is so amazing about it all is that Elizabeth has come to accept that I am no longer "under the pope of Rome" and sometimes asks me questions about feast days or saints in Orthodoxy. This is a real miracle to me.

Thank you, Saint Paisios!!

 

[Prodigal7]

Suppose your father-confessor deems that St. Christopher the Christ-bearer is the most appropriate patron saint for you? Would you be able to accept that?

Sometimes you will get a new name, for example, when Metropolitan Kallistos Ware, whose name was Timothy and who kept that name when being baptized into the Greek Orthodox Church, but later, when he joined the Monastery of St. John on the Island Patmos, received the name Kallistos, meaning “Beautiful”. A lot of people who get new names when they convert to Orthodoxy wind up with new names because their prior name is not the name of an Orthodox saint, and they also lacked a middle name who was someone who we venerate, although my understanding is that some Orthodox churches care about this more than others. If you have a name that does not match anyone on the liturgical calendar, your name day is All Saints Day, while in the Greek Orthodox Church, they have a lovely custom wherein if you are a lady named for a flower, your name day is Pentecost. Many people who become monks, or when they are ordained as bishops, do receive a new name at that time. For example, the current bishop of ACROD, the American Carpatho-Rusyn Orthodox Diocese, took on the name Gregory when he was consecrated to that office, because he was made the bishop of the titular diocese of Nyssa and he is a great admirer of St. Gregory of Nyssa.

I will ask my priest. The only saint I really know is Saint Seraphim of Sarov. A friend at church loaned me a book about him. I am really enjoying it and reading it slowly. I just ordered an Icon of Saint Seraphim. The first one I have ever purchased. Most of my icons are from my grandparents. I will research St. Christopher. I definitely could accept St. Christopher. What ever is God's will would be fine with me.

 

[RileyG]

I'm not Orthodox, but my patron saint is St. Gregory the Great.

 

[ArmyMatt]

I'm not Orthodox, but my patron saint is St. Gregory the Great.

we love him too, you’re good. we actually celebrate his liturgy.

 

[orange the duck]

I dont mean to bump up old threads if the conversion has run its course...but I was going to ask this very question, and I saw someone beat me to it

I chose Saint Constantine the Great, the first Christian Roman Emperor. I chose him to him having qualities that I want in my life.

He was the Emperor, and thus he could have lived the life of luxury and extravagance, but instead he chose to be in the thick of the fighting with his solders. His bravery was limitless, and that is something I want. I don't want to be afraid of anything.

He also became a Christian at a time when it was absolutely NOT politically or culturally acceptable to be one. I live in the USA, so there is no issue or negative stigma for me being a Christian, but if I'm ever in a situation where my faith puts me at a disadvantage, I want the courage to never waiver and to always be proud of my faith.

EDIT

If I were Catholic, I would have picked Saint Charlemagne for much of the same reasons (he was just as brave as Constantine, but he lived in a time and region where Christianity was not only acceptable, but almost required)