Last week, reader Karen L directed me to an essay featuring a touching baby name story. The author, Cornelia Principe, suffered three miscarriages before finally carrying her fourth pregnancy to term. Here’s how she named her daughter:
At 12 weeks, things were still on track and we started telling our family the good news. Weeks later my mother-in-law, who’s a devout Catholic, told me over the phone that she had been praying to St. Jude every day for me and the baby. I knew her well enough to know that there must be a reason for her to pray to St. Jude.
“What is St. Jude the patron saint of?” I asked.
“Oh, well…he’s the patron saint of…of lots of things,” she said with a stammer.
Her evasive answer made me suspicious, so as soon as I got off the phone I googled St. Jude. What I found made me laugh out loud. My mother-in-law thought I’d be upset if I knew that St. Jude was the patron saint of lost causes.
Five months later, two-and-a-half years after we started trying for a family, on the evening of the feast day of St. Jude, Oct. 28, I went into labour.
The next day, I gave birth to a healthy baby girl whom we immediately named Audrey Jude. Audrey because it was the only name my husband and I could agree on, and Jude because she taught me there is no such thing as a lost cause, as long as there is will and hope.
Source: Principe, Cornelia. “Three miscarriages didn’t stop me from trying again.” Globe and Mail 1 Nov. 2011.
my cousin and her daughter both share this middle name for the very same reason! it’s a tradition in my family that a child’s middle name should be for a saint as well.
My cousin is Michael Jude, again, same reason. And a friend of mine gave the name Jude to a baby she lost at 7 months. She said maybe he’d try harder next time (he did, with Margaret, Benjamin, Jacob, and Sarah Jo).
That is such a wonderful name story, thanks for passing it on!
Audrey Jude is a great name and a great story. Thanks for sharing.