CatholicMom article on Olympic names

sanctanomina CatholicMom.com writer, ,

My August CatholicMom column posted today, the one I promised you last week! Check it out: Catholic Names at the 2016 Summer Olympics

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I wrote it sort of last minute last week, knowing it would be my only chance to have a piece on the Olympics post at CatholicMom while the Olympics were actually going on, and I only have so many words I’m allowed, so you’ll see that now, after another week of Olympics and the awesome conversation we’ve had here on Olympic names since then, it feels a little … rudimentary? But it was fun to write, and I’m glad it’s out there. (And thanks to my new Twitter friend Annie Au for the use of her tweet!)

I was going to include in this post all sorts of new info I’ve found about Catholic Olympians and Olympic names with Catholic connections (I’ve been saving links to share for a week!) but my kids are Falling Apart after a morning of me trying to get stuff done, and it’s the only nice weather day predicted for the week, so I made the executive decision to drop everything and haul us all up to the lake. I’m very sorry to not have the time to do the post I’d wanted to do! And I know I have emails awaiting responses as well, and I’m hoping to get all caught up again soon. I know you know how it is, with childhood being too short and summer being too short and all of that. 🌞🌞🌞

I hope you all have a great Wednesday, and if you have any links to share about Catholic Olympians or other thoughts on this topic, please feel free to leave them in the comments!

40 thoughts on “CatholicMom article on Olympic names”

  3. Also Missy Franklin (swimming) attended a Catholic high school, though she is Protestant. She commented at one point considering converting to Catholicism. I have been so impressed by her openness about how her faith, and her trust in being a daughter of God, has gotten her through the immense disappointments that this summer brought. (Not qualifying for the Olympics on two events she’d medaled in last time; not making it to any Olympic finals.)

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  4. Love this!! And I love that you used my comment 😀 😀

    Ignatius Press, which I follow on Instagram, posted this quote today from Katie Ledecky with I thought you all would like. She said “My Catholic faith is very important to me. It always has been and it always will be. It is part of who I am and I feel comfortable practicing my faith. It helps me put things in perspective.” ❤ ❤ ❤

    To answer your question, I don't think I would ever use a name *because* of an Olympian but I could definitely be influenced by them!

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  5. I was just reading an interview today in the Knights of Columbus magazine with shot putter Joe Kovacs, where he discussed the importance of his faith. Great to read about another Catholic Olympian. 🙂

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  6. Just read your Catholic mom post while Nia Ali came onto the track. They showed her family, including her toddler, whose name is…get ready…Titus Maximus! My husband thought that was pretty awesome!

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  7. Oh, and the athlete called Kyrie made me smile because I’ve always liked saying the Kyrie Eleison and if I met that Olympian I’d need to recalibrate my brain just like that Twitter user, lol. Kee-ray-ay would actually be a nice name to my ear, but I’d hesitate over the ‘Lord’ meaning.

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    • Haha YES! I’ve often thought Kyrie might appeal to a certain kind of namer, it’s got such a pretty sound and a great meaning (Cyril sets a good precedent, as it comes from the same Greek word meaning “Lord”)

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  9. I totally forgot to add that I have a friend named Kyrie, a woman. It is pronounced kai-ree. Her parents are not religious and I don’t know how they came up with the spelling. At first it was hard for me to get used to the pronunciation, but now it’s second nature. We have been good friends for almost 10 years, so you get used to it! Later in life (around 6 years ago), she converted to Orthodox Christianity, where I believe they do use the Greek kyrie eleison, so that must’ve been hard for her to get used to in the opposite way!

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  11. My cousin, Maggie Steffens (full name Margaret Ann), is on the women’s water polo team (they’re playing for the gold today!) and she is Catholic. She went to Catholic school K-8 and she is around the 38th or 39th grandchild of my grandparents 40+ grandchildren. My grandparents were amazing and had 13 kids, all of whom were and are amazing athletes.

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