New to this... especially here (or a question for Catholics)

Greetings from outside. So I came here to see if some one can give me some pointers. I am in the final stages of becoming Catholic and still trying to get my head around the patron saint thing. The priest sort of explained it, my wife tried to explain, the web... sheesh.

So my first question to the other Catholics, is picking a saint a gut check or a contemplation thing?

A little back ground. I was raised in a protestant home, but I chose not to be baptized. I am not an atheist, never have been. Mainly just avoiding the commitment. Now I find I need to move into a new phase of my life and the Church is part of it.

So Saints?

A clue please.

Are you talking about Saints in general, Patron Saints, or trying to pick one for Confirmation?

I am trying to pick one for Confirmation.

Start with prayer, of course; ask the Holy Spirit to guide you.

Read about the lives of the saints and see if there is one whose story resonates with you and you would like to emulate. Look up the patron saints of your profession, hobbies and interests and see if any of those seem to fit. You can also look up the saints whose feast day are on your birthday or another date that is important to you. You can even pick a saint if the opposite sex if you like and either keep the name the same or modify it. I'm sure others will have more ideas, but you may just find that your saint picks you.

Welcome home, brother!!

I do not know which denomination you were raised with, so I cannot tell you to go get your Picture Book of Saint's. I knew, for years, which Saint I was going to pick. Cattitude gave you some good advice. I would listen to her.

My parents attended a small "Church of Christ" most of my youth. My wife and several friends over the years have introduced me to Catholic faith, and I did some soul searching and realized what I was looking for/running from was not an unbearable stone. So now I move forward.

Thanks to those that answered, still researching, but I know that there is a Saint our there for me.

I would not worry too much about the issue. There is no canon stating you can not ask for intercession from different Saints or that you can not change how you feel as time goes on. I tend to turn to other saints far more often than I turn to my confirmation saint. That said, in reality I probably could turn to my Confirmation saint more - abet the one I would be turning to is not canonized (I chose my confirmation name more in honor of my Grandfather than the Saint he was named after).

In theory, it is a good time to research Saints for help, guidance and inspiration. In reality, it tends to be a something somewhat less profound - as many of us are still crawling spiritually by the time we are confirmed. The walk in faith is a lifetime journey.

Thanks for all the replies. I will continue my search, and stay focused on the big goal. Peace to you all.

I picked San Miguel/Saint Michael because I liked the badassitude of the mythology, and the sword was cool.

Ahh, to be 12 years old again...

My research has led me to my name sake. The other would be my birth date, and he apparently was partners with St. Jude. So I have mostly narrowed it down to St. Timothy. The wife and I were at the Basilica today and there are some very unique books on saints in the book store.

See you at mass.

Read Lives of the Saints and reflect on why you're attracted to Catholicism.

I picked St Sebastian at my Confirmation because he just seemed cool - athlete, solider, martyr plus some truly awe inspiring representations of him in art.

If I had to do it over again, I'd definitely pick Augustine out of respect for how his writing has influenced and inspired me.

If your mother is important to you, St Monica may be a good choice.

If you're ethnic French, Joan of Arc could be attractive.

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