Families and Religious Names

[Julie]

Do the families of most/all religious call them by thier religious names? 

It seems to me that relatives of priests are about 50/50 about using "Father" (I know more than one "Uncle Father Joseph" )

But the only family I've heard talk about a religious member amongst themselves sort of splits it down the middle.  A friend's sister's baptismal and religious names start with the same letter, so they call her by that (let's say her baptismal name is "Allison" and she's now Sister Anne. They call her "Sister A"*)

What's common? I'm just curious. I can see how it might be hard for a family to adjust.

*obviously, this is not her real name. She's actually got a different letter 

[DominicanHeart]

This is a good question. I know a woman who has a son who is a Priest and she still calls him Robbie like he's a little boy. I think it's sweet. But of course it's different for Sisters. I'd like to know the answer as well!

[Fr. Antony Maria OSB]

I can't speak to other communities, but in my community it depends on the monk. My own family still calls me by my baptismal name, and that's something I've told them they can do simply because they've known me my entire life (except for my younger brother and cousins ). It would also be very difficult for my Dad to call me by my religious name since we have the same baptismal name.

However, I know some families of other monks in my community call them by their religious names. So it depends.

[veritasluxmea]

I think parents can sometimes (usually?) call a person by their baptismal name and there's an understanding that it's all right. After all, parents always see you as their little baby, no matter how big you get 

[sr.christinaosf]

Or they may intend to use "Sister ..." but slip back into using the given name instead by accident (out of habit).

[Nunsuch]

Most communities today do not have their members take new names, you know....

[Julie]

9 minutes ago, Nunsuch said:

Most communities today do not have their members take new names, you know....

Really, most? 

Nearly every religious in my offline acquaintance has had a new religious name, so I just assumed that was the norm!  

I guess I just know an unusual subset of people! 

[A Yearning Heart]

It's different depending on the person/friend/relative of the religious.  For some relatives, I've heard their baptismal name being used by some, while others use the religious name. For some friends, who respect religious profession, they use the religious name; while others, who aren't Catholic or Christian, have used their baptismal name. It's always a bit confusing when you hear both being mentioned.

[veritasluxmea]

34 minutes ago, Nunsuch said:

Most communities today do not have their members take new names, you know....

Are you sure? Every single community I've visited does, and I've checked out a lot of communities. All the communities founded in the past fourty years do, except for maybe one. Some don't but they're the minority, not the majority, especially when it comes to numbers

[vee]

Interesting question.  I think close family  and friends can probably call the religious whatever they want.  The community Im interested in does retain the custom of Sisters taking a new name but I wouldnt expect my family or close friends to call me by that.    I have nieces and nephews that Im close to as well who call me Aunty and they can always call me that as far as Im concerned!

[dominicansoul]

When I was in the convent, my family still called me by my baptismal name. But in my case it's because my family members just couldn't wrap their head around me being a nun.   It was not normal for them to refer me in such a respectful manner as "Sister..."   (I will forever be their mischievous little sister/black sheep/trouble-maker)

 

 

....come to think of it, when Vee joins the ranks of sister-hood, I'll still be calling her bad names.   lolololol

Edited January 3, 2016 by dominicansoul

[Julie]

1 minute ago, dominicansoul said:

When I was in the convent, my family still called me by my baptismal name. But in my case it's because my family members just couldn't wrap their head around me being a nun.   It was not normal for them to refer me in such a respectful manner as "Sister..."   (I will forever be their mischievous little sister/black sheep/trouble-maker)

I have a feeling that if I ever enter a convent, it'll be the same with me. My brothers can hardly address me seriously with my name! It would be very unnatural to them if they were

to call me by ANY title.

[Nunsuch]

Well, I admit  that I am a historian, and of the 80 or so congregations I have visited and the hundreds with which I am most familiar, none have been founded in the last 40 years. But I so know at least a few newer congregations where the emphasis is on the primacy of the baptismal name.... I do stand by the fact that the majority do not assume religious names. This is not a criticism, just what I have experienced.

[NadaTeTurbe]

I've never met a community where they change their name at profession, I've only see that on the internet. The next door community does it, but they're all new, founded in the 80's. I'm discerning with four congregations, three olds and one new, and they all keep their names. I've seen the change of name does a lot in US community, not a lot in France or Spain. 

[IgnatiusofLoyola]

7 hours ago, NadaTeTurbe said:

I've never met a community where they change their name at profession, I've only see that on the internet. The next door community does it, but they're all new, founded in the 80's. I'm discerning with four congregations, three olds and one new, and they all keep their names. I've seen the change of name does a lot in US community, not a lot in France or Spain. 

What you and Nunsuch said about changing names is interesting. From reading Vocation Station I would get a different picture--namely that Sisters changing their names at clothing--is the norm.

Actually, in the Communities I know the most about, there is an option for a Sister to keep her birth name at clothing (although I assume--but don't know for sure--that it would need to be a saint's name). However, in at least one of those Communities, every Sister also has a variation of Mary as part of her name.

Since most Communities don't allow Sisters with the same name, a new novice who wanted to keep her birth name might be in trouble if her birth name is something like Mary Ann or, worse Mary Catherine (and she wanted to be a Dominican!) Although this would never be done because it would be considered frivolous (and expensive), I keep imagining a worldwide gathering of every nun/Religious Sister named Mary Catherine/Catharine.   (When I mention Sister Mary Catherine of the Dominican Sisters of St. Joseph on Phatmass, I normally call her by her Phatmass name of Laetitia Crucis (or LC) so she is not confused with Phatmasser Sister Mary Catharine. This is not due to any disrespect for LC's religious name. I also know that LC LOVED the name Laetitia Crucis so I'm fairly sure she doesn't mind--I've never asked her--I should sometime.)