Make a name for yourself.

Mary - had I not been confirmed as an adult, I would never have chosen the name. Others, especially the younger members of our combined Confirmation and RCIA class, found selecting a name an insignificant and potentially embarrassing detail of receiving the chrism. Elizabeth and Catherine were standards among the girls, while John proved least abashing for the boys. Less fortunate children, burdened with conspicuous European ethnicity, had first-generation grandparents who insisted on Isadore, Pascale, or - horror of all horrors - Aloysius.

But Mary seemed most appropriate at a time when I was confirming not only my general Christian, but particularly Catholic, faith. In the past, there always seemed to be some saint or monsignor or respectable parish pillar who adopted Our Lady's moniker. Such were Saint Antonio Maria Claret, who founded the Claretian order, Saint Jean-Baptiste-Marie Vianney, who embodied Christian humility in 19th-century Lyons, and Frater Maria Ludovicus, a.k.a. Thomas Merton.

However, in recent years taking the name Mary has declined as an expression of personal piety. Since the 1960s a parallel decline in the general practice of taking religious names has transformed Sister John into Sister Debbie and Dom Albert into Father Tom.

In scripture, a name change inaugurates a new segment of a person's life. God changed Abram's name to Abraham to mark his status as father of a chosen nation. And Jesus named his right-hand disciple Peter, or Cephas, to mark his foundational role in the church.

Though it did not become a ubiquitous practice until well into the 14th century, the assumption of a new name was practiced sporadically throughout much of Christian history. As early as the first century, Ignatius of Antioch referred to himself as Theophorus, or "God bearer." By taking the name of a hallowed martyr or confessor, early Christians invoked the protection of that patron. Cyprian of Carthage, 200 years after Ignatius, added to his own designation Caecilianus, which was the name of the priest who baptized him. Cyprian Caecilianus also refers to three other contemporary Christians who venerated the heroes of both Christian and Hebrew scriptures by changing their names to Peter, Paul, and Moses.

As Christianity became the institutional religion of the Roman Empire, names honoring the doctrines and feasts of Christianity became increasingly popular. Among these were Redempta, Natalio, Pascasius, Soteris ("salvation"), Athanasius ("immortality"), and Anastasius ("resurrection").

At first a sign of conversion, taking a Christian name was later associated with the rites of passage marked by the sacraments of Baptism, Confirmation, and Holy Orders. The practice, manifesting the spiritual rebirth each sacrament invoked, symbolized an individual's dedication to Christian life.

These name changes are an indication of metanoia, the process of conversion Christians must undergo, says Father Dominick Fullam, a diocesan priest in Gulfport, Mississippi. "For the Christian, a change in name is a sign, or reminder, that faith in Christ makes one a new creation." Fullam, whose given name is Todd, chose to go by his middle name while studying for the priesthood. "Dominick means 'belonging to the Lord,'" he explains. "I wanted a sign for myself that I was doing something new, something serious, something which called for a whole new approach to life."

Some argue that there is a certain danger in taking another person's name. The practice identifies a person too closely with the piety of another. Responsibility for holiness is shirked off as the person hides behind the spiritual stature of some musty old saint's bygone sanctity. But taking a new name can have just the opposite effect. By so doing, Catholics are immersed in the Body of Christ and join, if in symbol only, the communion of saints that has preceded them since the beginning of time.

Of course, some may not know the religious significance behind the Confirmation name they have chosen. During a discussion with about-to-be-confirmed seventh graders about Christians we admired most and to whom we would dedicate our spiritual journey, one girl said she wanted to take the name Madonna. But after goading her into explaining her choice, I discovered the young music connoisseur had no idea the name referred to Our Lady.

My choice in a name combined something of both patronage to a saint and dedication to Christian life. Mary is the essential Christian. She was the first to open herself to Christ's presence, as all Christians since have been called to do. I could think of no better sponsor than Mary to show me the way and no better example of dedication.