“Your name is the most 
important thing you own. 
Don’t ever do anything 
to disgrace or cheapen it.”
~ Ben Hogan

In early May 1986, Kathy and I experienced the birth of our first son. We named him Thomas. My paternal grandfather’s name was Thomas. My father’s name was Thomas. My brother’s name is Thomas. And one of Kathy’s brothers’ name is Thomas. Everyone seemed to approve of the name selection. For the first ten years of his life, we called him Tommy, and he seemed to be okay with it. When he got to fifth grade, however, he informed me that he would like to be called Tom in the future. No problem, as that’s what we called all the others in the family with the same name.

In early May 1988, Kathy and I returned to Kaiser Hospital in Santa Clara for the birth of our second son. We named him Stephen. Kathy has a cousin named Stephen, but that did not play a part in our selection of the name. We just liked the name. Unfortunately, every now and then, people would either mispronounce his name (Ste’-fon) or misspell it (Steven). There is a reason we chose the spelling we did. Throughout his life, we’ve called him Steve. He seemed to be okay with it.

In late March 1992, Kathy and I ventured over to Kaiser once again, this time for the birth of our third son. We named him Brendan. Like the name Stephen, we just liked the name. The only other Brendan I know of in the family is one of the sons of one of my cousins. Sadly, mispronunciations and misspellings would plague Brendan throughout his life, as well. Some would call him Brandon. Some would spell the name Brendon. This never seemed to be a problem for Brendan. He just took it in stride. Every now and then, mostly at home, we might refer to him as Bren, but more often than not, the name Brendan was used. 

It is not coincidental that all three of the boys’ names are names of saints in the Church. Before we had any children, Kathy and I agreed that they would all receive the name of a saint. There are three saints with the name Thomas: Thomas the Apostle, Thomas Aquinas, and Thomas More. Kathy and I chose Tom’s patron saint to be Saint Thomas Aquinas. It’s interesting, because when he was a student in school, Thomas Aquinas was mocked for his ignorance, even to the point of being referred to as “the dumb ox.” In later years, he went on to be one of the greatest theologians in the history of the Catholic Church. No doubt, Tom’s classmates and teachers would be surprised and impressed by what he has achieved in his professional life.

Saint Stephen was the first Christian martyr. He was stoned to death for spreading Christianity in the Roman Empire. For that reason, one might think it humorous to learn that he is the patron saint of bricklayers! That should not go unnoticed in regards to our son, Steve. A bricklayer must be patient, precise, strong, efficient, and have a clear vision and understanding of what he is building. Our son, Steve, certainly has all these traits.

Saint Brendan, whose feast day we celebrate today, was born in Fenit, Ireland, located on a peninsula just west of Tralee in the south of Ireland. A priest and monk, Brendan established monasteries in Ireland and Scotland. He is the patron saint of sailors. It is believed that he was the first European to set foot in North America around the year 520. Saint Brendan had a reputation for being fearless, as he ventured out into uncharted waters and in uncertain conditions. Our son, Brendan displays similar qualities. He, too, has explored a variety of opportunities with courage, confidence, and competence.

So what’s in a name? Quite a bit, perhaps, if you take the time to do the research.