St. James the Greater Catholic School Logo

1. Logo Color Schematic (Gold, Blue, White):  

• Gold signifies the nobility of the educational process, forming the whole person, mind, body and spirit.

• Sapphire Blue represents heaven and earth coming together (both divinity and humanity).  Ezekiel 1:26 “Above the firmament over their heads was the likeness of a throne that looked like sapphire; and upon this likeness of a throne was seated, up above, a figure that looked like a human being”.

• White is the color of purity.  “Before a word is on my tongue O Lord you know it through and through…” Psalm 139:4.  Our actions are outward manifestations of what has already been thought (in the mind and heart). Integrity is the harmony between our thoughts and actions.  It is necessary to keep our thoughts pure, so that our actions might testify to the Faith we profess.

II. Symbols and their meaning in the Logo (Sword, Shield, and Jaguar)

• The first symbol is that of the Sword.  The Sword symbolizes the cutting away of ignorance through education.  Additionally, the sword ties us back to our Patron, Saint James, who was nicknamed “son of thunder” by our Lord for his boldness and courage.

• The second symbol is that of the Shield.  The Shield symbolizes by the offense and defense required in the spiritual life.  God’s grace is protective, and therefore, we can always count on his help and defense.  In God’s providence, he has willed that it is necessary for us to cooperate with his grace, and therefore, there is a certain offensive strategy necessary in the spiritual life (we cannot simply remain passive, but must be active).  Finally, the Shield symbolizes the Spiritual Warfare of the Christian life.  We fight, as Scripture says, not only for self-mastery, but also against actual powers that are unseen.

• The Jaguars (facing one another).  The Jaguar is the mascot for St. James the Greater Catholic School.  The Jaguar selected is in motion, and not stationary. Within the shield there are two identical Jaguars facing one another, symbolizing that Christianity is a Faith lived on its feet.  In the Letter of St. James, we are told that faith alone is insufficient. If we have genuine faith, St. James says, it will be demonstrated by our movements and the life we live.