Explanation of the SealExplanation of the SealOur official seal is at the centre of our family Coat of Arms.
The raised Cross recalls the two feasts of our Institute, the Finding and Exaltation of the Cross, as well as the hymn: "0 Crux ave, spes unica!" (Constitutions 1889).
The heraldic terms "cross of sable with heart of gules" evokes the sacrifice unto death with the Heart of Jesus:
You must make your supreme sacrifice on the altar of the Cross (Bishop Guigues - Ritual for Profession)
The ivy intertwined around the Cross represents our feebleness clinging to the tree of Salvation.
The rock wherein the Cross is planted symbolizes the stability of our Institute.
The motto "Hail to Jesus and his Cross" was given to the Grey Sisters of Bytown by Bishop J.E.B. Guigues, o.m.i., on September 4, 1852.
The streamers are blue in honour of the Immaculate, whom we venerate since December 8, 1878, as the first patroness of the Institute.
The inscriptions designate the works entrusted to our Congregation: educational mission and service to the poor.
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The arms and colours of our official seal were chosen by Mother Elisabeth Bruyère in 1852.