The parents of most of my children's friends are 10-15 years younger than we are. This means they grew up in those turbulent, corrective years after Vatican II, when the saints were lost for a while as we tried to figure out as a Church what was really important. This generation isn't necessarily on a first-name basis with too many saints. Surround Your Children With Saints For such parents, who have to start from scratch, here are some ideas for rescuing Valentine from the candy counter and Patrick from behind the bar. Begin by giving children a patron saint.
Kids love hearing stories about what their name means and who they're named after.
This doesn't mean saints who had sweet personalities but saints who come with a fair amount of documentation, a feast day, and an image recognizable in statuary, icon or other artwork. If you go for an Old Testament name, you'll forgo the feast day, but being in the Bible makes up for it. You can also designate your own day for celebrating the feast of St. Noah . Popular culture either ignores saints or debases their memory. If you've already gone and named your daughter Heather, tell her she can be the first St. Heather.