Your voice is needed for an integral part of pastoral planning, saints for tomorrow

    During the pastoral planning process, our parishioners have voiced a desire to be involved in the naming of the newly-formed parishes. As a result of this input, Archbishop Leonard P. Blair is calling upon all members of the Archdiocese of Hartford to let us know which saints' names are your top choices for our newly-formed parishes, a result of the merger of two or more existing churches/parishes.

    The parameters for naming a parish, as dictated by Rite of Dedication of a Church and An Altar (administered in conjunction with Canon Law #1217 and #1218) include: the name of the Trinity, a name for Christ (invoked in the liturgy, or a mystery of His life), the name of the Holy Spirit, a name for the Blessed Virgin Mary (invoked under a title for Her used in the liturgy), the name of a holy angel, the name of a canonized saint (as it appears in the Roman martyrology, or appendix), or the name of a "blessed" (beatified person; only provided the Apostolic See has given its permission).

    The proposed names will be for new parishes under which some already-existing churches will operate. Ideally, we are looking for names that are not already represented within the Archdiocese. Some names shown below have been duplicated several times. When making your suggestions, you may want to keep in mind the words of Robert Ellsberg, who reminds us in his recent article for America Magazine, "[saints] are not perfect people, much less superheroes. But in their own individual ways, they have shown what it means to be one's true and best self. And in doing so, they inspire us to do the same." See the statistics below to help guide you. Feel free to search the internet to learn more about the saints listed below. Submissions will be reviewed through Tuesday, April 25, 2017.
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