Our Symbols of Consecration

The Habit

We wear the full religious habit as a sign of our consecration and as an expression of our shared vision. Simple and modest, and at the same time becoming, it witnesses our Marian spirit.

The Ring

The gold ring, worn by the perpetually professed Sister, sets her apart as one forever consecrated to Jesus, her Spouse.  It is inscribed with the words, “To Jesus, my heart, my all, forever.”

The Crucifix & Rosary

The rosary we wear reminds us to live the redemptive mysteries of Christ in our daily lives. We wear a crucifix as a sign that we set Christ crucified as a seal upon our hearts and freely surrender our lives to Him.

The Crest of Sisters of Mary, Mother of the Church

Our crest represents the Marian and Petrine aspects of the Catholic Church. We honor the Virgin Mother of the Church and the successor of Peter upon whom the Church is built.

At the center of the crest is the heart which beats at the center of the Church: the Immaculate Heart of Mary, aflame with love for God and for us, the children bequeathed to her from the cross. As virgin and mother, Mary is the image, model and mother of the Church.  We claim her as our model, in our efforts to live "in the heart of the Church."

The keys of Peter symbolize the Church's apostolic authority received from Christ, the authority to which we pledge our lives. "Ubi Petrus, ibi Ecclesia."  (“Where Peter is, there is the Church.”)

The Holy Spirit in the form of a dove overshadows the heart and the keys, just as the Holy Spirit overshadowed Mary at the Annunciation, and again when she was gathered with the apostles in the cenacle at Pentecost

Seven rays emanate from the Holy Spirit, symbolizing His seven gifts as well as the seven Sacraments, channels of sanctifying grace for the whole Church.  The combined rays symbolize the twelve fruits of the Holy Spirit:  charity, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, generosity, gentleness, faithfulness, modesty, self-control and chastity. The twelve rays also signify the twelve Apostles.

The top banner with the words, "Sentire cum Ecclesia" ("to think with the Church," an expression used by St. Ignatius in his Spiritual Exercises) is the motto of our Community.

The lower banner is the title of Our Lady, patroness of our community: "Mater Ecclesiae" (Mother of the Church).

The crest is enclosed in the shape of the colonnade at St. Peter's in Rome, the center of Catholic teaching, worship and unity in the world. The four pillars represent the foundational pillars of our religious life:

The dome of St. Peter’s reminds us of the FAITH we profess in all that is taught and maintained through the ages by Christ’s holy Church.

The cross atop the dome draws our gaze heavenward, filling us with HOPE in Christ crucified and risen, in Whom we seek eternal fulfillment.

The colonnade resembles the open arms of a mother welcoming all into her embrace, reminding us of the CHARITY that emanates from the heart of the Church and inflames the hearts of her children, filling us with supernatural love for God and neighbor.