Saints Catholic College Crest

Saints Catholic College Crest

With a new name for the College it was necessary to commission a new College Crest. Elements of both former College Crests were incorporated into the present crest design to reflect the College's history and the new emerging identity of Saints Catholic College.

The new Crest incorporates symbols of the three Saints honoured at the College - St Raphael, St Paul and St Mary MacKillop - as well as some design ideas submitted by a past resident. The colours of blue, red, yellow and white - used in the two previous College Crests of St Raphael and St Paul - have also been incorporated into the new design to reflect the unity of the three Wings within the current College.

The following symbols draw inspiration from our Catholic Christian heritage, our association with James Cook University and the evolution of the College over many decades:

• The sword and open book are symbols of St Paul:
  
  • The open book represents St Paul's writings to the new Christian communities in his Epistles
  • The downward pointing double-edged sword is a reference to the symbolism that the Word of God cuts deeply. The downward pointing sword is also a symbol of peace. 
• The wings symbolise the Archangel Raphael and the College's all-women's Wing named in his honour. St Raphael's name means "God heals".
• The Southern Cross is depicted to symbolise our geographic location in the southern hemisphere and to acknowledge that St Mary MacKillop is Australia's first saint.
• The sunburst is a reference to our link with James Cook University as the JCU crest incorporates the sun rising over water.
• The Cross within the sunburst is the same as that depicted in the former St. Raphael's College crest. The cross also represents our Catholic Christian heritage.
• The motto - Wisdom, Action, Truth - draws together the mottos of the former Colleges and makes reference to St Mary MacKillop's call to action:
  
  • The St Raphae'sl College motto was - "Women in search of Wisdom"
  • The St Paul's College motto was - "In Veritate" (In Truth). 
  • Action is a reference to St Mary MacKillop who said, "Never see a need without doing something about it."

Crest of St Raphael's College

Women in Search of Wisdom

The crest was designed by a group of students and was first used in 1986. They chose a shining cross to reflect the James Cook University crest and motto; the Wild Goose from a story by Gilbert Keith Chesterton, which tells of a never ending search for truth and knowledge; and an open book with the symbol for women. The College Motto was "Women in Search of Wisdom."

Crest of St Paul's College

In Vertitate

The College Crest brought together some of the traditional iconology associated with the life and death of St Paul, the Apostle. It included the Book, representing his role as the writer to the early Christian Churches, and the Roman broad swords, reminding us of his martyrdom. The symbol of the inverted swords suggests an aura of peace within the emblem, in contrast to their use in conflict. The College Motto is, "In Veritate" (In Truth).