*Some of the symbols are from His Holiness Pope John Paul II coat of arms, which was intended to be a homage to the central mystery of Christianity, that of the Redemption.
Shield…. The shield symbolizes our Catholic Faith and our belief in God that protects and redeems us.
Keys….The keys symbolize the Holy See. The gold one, on the right, alludes to the power of the kingdom of the heavens, the silver one, on the left, indicates the spiritual authority of the papacy on earth. The mechanisms are turned upward and the grips are turned down, in other words into the hands of the Vicar of Christ. The cord unites the grips alludes to the bond between the two powers.
“M”…..The large and majestic letter M recalls the presence of the Madonna under the cross and her exceptional participation in Redemption. Pope John Paul II had intense devotion to Mary the Mother of God. He had the Latin motto “Totus Tuus” engraved into his coat of arms which was the short form for the translation; I am all yours, and all I have is yours. I welcome you into all my affairs and concerns. Show me your heart, O Mary.”
Cross…..The cross is the eternal symbol of Christ’s passion for all humanity and his resurrection.
Dove…. The dove is a symbol of peace and wisdom. In our faith tradition the dove also represents the gifts of the Holy Spirit given to us by God.
Book…. The book represents knowledge and truth. God gives us the ability to learn and use our knowledge and potential to transform God’s world.
Pope John Paul II School Motto: Draft “Living the Word”…. Pope John Paul II School will feature the WCDSB Mission and Vision Statements as our collective focus for our daily work and efforts on behalf of the students. Regrettably, it was discovered that another school in our district had already incorporated “Witness to Hope” as their school motto. Our second choice of motto “Living the Word” is also a significant option for a motto. Pope John Paul II wrote several documents, declarations, decrees issued formal apologies, and always cited examples from the Gospel when working with youth. His Holiness was an excellent Christian role model. Following Pope John Paul II’s life’s example and Christ’s teachings in the Gospel, we too will be “Living the Word”.
- The sun is the center of our universe, as God is the center of our faith and the Pope is a central figure in our Catholic Church
- The sun sets and rises again like the Resurrection cycle
- The suns cycle around the seasons and some of the Christian liturgical calendar…the sun marks our time…our time should be spent giving praise and glory to God
- The sun makes things grow…we grow in our Catholic faith
- The sun provided light…the light of our path is Jesus
- The sun is with us even when it is dark…God is with us even in our darkest hour
- The bible makes many references to “light”. Light is a strong biblical theme expressing our Hope in God. Favorite passages are Jn 8:12 and Mt 5:14-16
- The Pope was a great outdoorsman until his ill health. He makes many references to enjoying hikes in the sunny mountains
- The Pope reconciled with the ancestors of Galileo who discovered that the earth travelled in orbit around the sun. Pope John Paul II believes that the scientific community and the church can work together to prove God’s love for all mankind. Science must work to promote good for all people