My
baptismal name was Audrey Jean. Somehow I hated the name Audrey and asked my
mom how I happened to get that name. She told me that my father wanted to name
me Angela, but she wanted to call me Audrey after a street in Ludlow. What? A
street in Ludlow! One of my teachers even introduced me to a visiting priest as
Jean Autrey! By the time I started High School I didn’t even tell people my
first name, so I glided along from then on as plain Jean.
After graduation from high
school I entered St. Walburg Monastery with six other young ladies. When the
time to receive the habit and receive our nun name arrived, we were asked
to submit three names in the order of our preferences. My first choice was
Victoria after Mary’s title, Our Lady of Victory. I was excited to receive my
first choice and to have Mary as my patron. The day after the ceremony the
superior informed me that my feast day would be December 23, feast of St.
Victoria. I asked whether I could celebrate on October 7, the feast of “Our
Lady of Victory.” After a little thought the superior said that the recently
deceased Sr. Victoria celebrated on December 23, Feast of St. Victoria, and
that changing the date would only confuse people. Believe me I was both
confused and unhappy.
Shortly after it was time to
elect a new prioress, I decided to try again by explaining to her my desire to
celebrate my feast day on October 7 in honor of Our Lady of Victory. No
problem! By that time most in the
community would not remember when the departed Victoria celebrated her feast
day. Years later Pope John XXIII changed
the title of the feast to the “Feast of our Lady of the Rosary.” That event
actually expanded my love for the name.
When the sisters of our
community had the option of returning to our Baptismal name, I chose to remain
Victoria. The name had created a close bond between me and my heavenly mother.
My baptismal name would not provide such a frequent reminder of that intimate
connection. The name Victoria also seemed to have a joyful ring, and I wanted
to reflect joy and surrender as Mary so often did. A quotation I discovered
recently provided a perfect reason to associate joy with my name. “Joy is the most infallible sign of the
presence of God.” My final reflection is that the life I live and the good I do
will lend beauty to my name as it will to any name.
Sr. Victoria Eisenman , O.S.B.
Lovely commentary...our baptismal name and confirmation name is supposed to remind to be close God.
ReplyDeleteI was wondering is your confirmation name? I do like the name Audrey...had to laugh about the street sign inspiration��
Dear Sister thank you for the precious and courageous sharing of information about your good names. It is a very good teaching, and a beautiful part of vocation to holy life, being given or choosing a new name. I have just read Story of a Soul. St Therese talks about her name. Did you look into the background of the name Audrey? Ludlow is a obviously a gift from your own mother of some kind. Some good roots there, something very good is there. Celts and Saxons got married? Those early years of Christian faith in England and first of all the British Celts is such a powerful Christian story. The English of course were from German lands, they were German tribes, and when they became Christian they were so strong. Boniface, a great saint, would become an apostle there with many good sisters. He was from Devon, pleasant land. Victoria (Queen) was a devout Christian, and many in the Royal families of Europe love Saint Mary. God bless OSB, amen.
ReplyDeleteOur wonderful Blessed Mother Mary comes through for us again and again! Each morning, I pray to her to ask our dear Lord for whoever and whatever is first in my concerns for the day. It gives me peace to know it is then out of my worrying mind and in the very very best of hands! Anxiety-GONE for today....
ReplyDeleteMy mom told me she and Dad named me Victoria because "It was such a great victory" that they had me, given their ages (and other amusing complicating factors). The Holy Rosary Oct. 7 feast used to commemorate the Battle of Lepanto. I'm glad you, your sisters and the Church are now more given to celebrate peace.
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