Received Confirmation and Adopted the Name "Veronica"

In 1966, at just eight years old, Madonna Louise Ciccone received the Catholic sacrament of confirmation—a pivotal rite of passage in the Church that symbolizes the strengthening of one’s faith and full initiation into the Christian community. As part of the tradition, each confirmand selects a saint’s name to adopt as a spiritual guide and protector. Madonna chose the name “Veronica,” paying tribute to Saint Veronica, the woman who, according to Christian legend, compassionately wiped the face of Jesus on His journey to crucifixion. The name itself, derived from Latin and Greek, translates to “true image,” referencing the miraculous imprint of Christ’s face said to be left on Veronica’s veil. The choice of “Veronica” is particularly telling when considering Madonna’s lifelong relationship with religious symbolism. Born and raised in a strict Catholic household in Michigan, she was the third of six children in a working-class Italian-American family. Her mother, Madonna Fortin, passed away when she was just five years old—a trauma that deeply affected her view of motherhood, female identity, and faith. In this emotionally charged spiritual atmosphere, her confirmation marked not only a religious milestone but also a deeply personal affirmation of identity and purpose. Though she would later become famous for challenging the very Church that shaped her, Madonna’s creative work repeatedly returned to the rituals, imagery, and contradictions of her Catholic upbringing. From her use of crucifixes and rosaries in performances to the controversial blending of eroticism and religious iconography in videos like Like a Prayer, her art was always tethered to the tension between reverence and rebellion. Her confirmation name “Veronica” even resurfaced later in her career as a spiritual alter ego—most notably as “Veronica Electronica,” a nickname linked to her late-1990s Ray of Light era, which explored themes of mysticism, motherhood, and transcendence.