MovieChat Forums > The Nun's Story (1959) Discussion > Question about name changing?

Question about name changing?

posted 19 years ago by dramatechie
17 replies | jump to latest

does anyone know why the nuns get new names?

I haven't had so much fun since the day we put glue on Fräulein Josephine's toothbrush.

[–] bjuanjes 19 years ago

It was commonplace is most orders. New life = new name. In many the name was given, is some you submitted 3 choices and one was picked. If you think about it, it was a COMPLETE rupture with your former self. Dying to the world, to be born in relgion.

[–] dramatechie 19 years ago

thx

Is he always this funny, or only on days when he's wanted for murder?-Who Framed Rodger Rabbit

[–] rosarypliers 19 years ago

Different orders, different practices. This applies to male as well as to female orders. In some orders, you keep your Christian name (the Jesuit fathers, for example, always do). In some orders, you can choose if you want to keep your Christian name or choose a new one. St. Therese of Lisieux, for example kept the name she went by, Therese (she was baptized Marie Françoise Thérèse), adding "of the Child Jesus" to it, because many Carmelites do so. (I also think she did in imitating the Therese "the Great" who was called "of Jesus"). St. Catherine Labouré was called Zoé as a child, but Catherine had always been her second name. St. Bernadette went by "M. Bernard". She chose the name herself, in honor of her aunt and sponsor. In some orders, the Franciscans, for example you keep your Christian name if the name you chose has already been given in the same province. And in some orders, like in the one shown in the movie, you are assigned your new name in religion. Most female religious (and many male, too) have "Mary" before their name in religion usually shortened M.

[–] roghache 19 years ago

The nuns (Sisters of Charity) in our area of eastern Canada used to change their names when they entered the convent but do so no longer. The sisters my husband had as teachers a few decades ago now go by their birth names, not the religious names he once knew them by.

[–] manja-s 18 years ago

The Trappist nuns I know (in the south of the Netherlands) still change their names after they enter the convent.

[–] velcronewsletter 18 years ago

why are so many nuns named after men? sr luke sounds like an oxymoron

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[–] janicep 18 years ago

The Sisters in the Order that taught me in the sixties had different names in the religious life. But in the late sixties they were allowed to resume using their baptismal names if they chose. My fifth grade teacher was Sister Matthew but she changed back to Sister Bernice. During that year we called her by both names.

As far as the names, some Orders used to choose the names for the nuns. In other Orders the nuns were allowed to choose the name they wanted. Usually they chose the name of a saint whose qualities they admired and/or wanted to emulate. I had a nun in seventh grade who explained the significance of her name. She wanted to be Sister Joseph but that name was already taken. The Order was a bit like the Screen Actors Guild. Two nuns couldn't have the same name, lol. So she chose one of Saint Joseph's qualities, justice, and became Sister Justicia.

In The Nun's Story it is interesting that Gabrielle became Sister Luke. Luke is the patron saint of physicians.

[–] velcronewsletter 18 years ago

i was wondering why so many of them had men's names

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[–] jdmartin61 17 years ago

When I was 5 the names of the sisters who taught my older sister were one thing. A year later, when I entered the first grade, the names of all the sisters had changed. I never knew exactly why. The sisters didn't seem to go through any kind of "religious formational" stage. Many years later, in my mother's old papers I found a mimeographed page that explained that the sisters' names had changed. Each new name also included a surname (the birth name?) whereas the older names did not. Parents were instructed to call each sister by her new first name only.

Most of these nuns were from Ireland and were good and hearty women who came to Texas (San Antonio first - the "Mother House" here) to teach school. they taught at Holy Family School here in Fort Worth and they did it well. The years I remember were from 1967 to 1969.

I always knew of the concept of taking a new name when you became a Professional Religious but I never understood the exact dynamic of my own experierence. Things I've read here have taught me a great deal.

John Martin, 45, Texas

[–] jdmartin61 17 years ago

Magilune68,

I meant to answer your previous question. Male vs female names is a kind of "Catholic" thing among Professional Religious and secular people. The truth is that males have played a bigger role historically and in religious significance, so the sisters tended to take men's names sometimes when they made their religous profession. Among the Saints, from whom the names were usually chosen, men were more well known and the things they accomplished in life, their attributes, were what the sister's name was supposed to signify. Otherwise, all nuns would be called Sister "Mary Teresa," or "Mary Bernadette, and a few others (though about as many women as men have been sainted since early christianity). There aren't too many well-known women's names to choose from in the religious life. Maybe that is why the name tradition is evolving. Note - in the movie all the new sisters were officially called 'Sister "Marie" [Something]' except for "Sister Luke." That has a kind of significance only a "Catholic" would understand.

Also, in Latin cultures you can find men with the name "Maria" (Mary) as part of their name. It's the symbolism rather than gender that makes the difference. The Western European boy's name "Mario" is a good example of this concept.

John Martin, 45, Texas

[–] velcronewsletter 17 years ago

thanks for the clarification

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[–] mdami75602 16 years ago

Name changes are based on biblical roots. When God chose Abram to be the father of the Jewish people, his name was changed to Abraham. His wife, Sarai, had her name changed to Sarah. New life in God's service. Peter's name was changed from Simon. Paul's name was changed from Saul. It represented the new life in God so a new name was given. Often, the new name was significant. Peter means rock, and Jesus named him Peter because he was making Peter the foundation of the church. Upon this rock will build my church. When a religious took a new name, it represented the new person they became. When a child is confirmed and chooses a new name, it is to emulate the saint whose name they choose. Another role model for their religius life.

[–] Molly-31 14 years ago

Nuns with male names have named themselves after male saints, whom they hope to emulate in some way. St. Luke was known as "the physician" so you can see where she got the idea to call herself that. Also, many people take the name of an opposite-sex saint at confirmation and a lot of nuns use their confirmation name as their religious name.

Let's just say that God doesn't believe in me.

[–] bill3-1 14 years ago

Did Sister Luke get to choose her own name? I was under the assumption that it was assigned to her. All the other nuns were Mary or Maria something or other, I found it interesting they didn't address/introduce her as Sister Maria Luke, undoubtedly her first name is Maria.

St. Luke was known as "the physician" so you can see where she got the idea to call herself that.

That point never occurred to me Molly, thanks!

[–] Molly-31 14 years ago

Yes she did. This is described in the book and is true of many orders. You were told to pick three names you'd like, write each one on a separate piece of paper and the superiors would assign one of the three to you, I think by choosing at random. It says in the book that she wanted to be Sr. Luke, not Maria Luke. Some nuns do take a single name without the Marie/Maria.

Let's just say that God doesn't believe in me.

[–] bill3-1 14 years ago

That's interesting Molly, thanks.

[–] bron-tay 12 years ago

Another reason (besides the explanations below) is that some sisters chose family members for their new religious names. I knew a couple of them who had called themselves after their brother and sister, hence some funny-sounding names. "Sister Dorothy John" was my all-time oddball name.

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