Coat of Arms
Motto: The motto Venite Ad Me (Come to Me) refers to Matthew 11:28: “Come to me, all you who labor and are burdened, and I will give you rest.” Since the Cathedral Basilica sits at the highest point of the City of Newark, it serves a beacon of hope to all those in the City of Newark, in the Archdiocese, and beyond. It serves as a place of refuge for the faithful and those seeking peace, mercy, and Christ Himself.
Ombrellino: Surmounting the shield, the Ombrellino is an umbrella of red and gold, which are the traditional Papal colors. This processional canopy is commonly opened whenever a Pope visits a Basilica. It represents a unique relationship between the Basilica and the Holy Father in Rome.
Crossed Keys: Located directly behind the shield is the symbols of papal authority: the keys of St. Peter. The keys refer to the promise of Christ to St. Peter, “I will give you the keys to the Kingdom of Heaven. Whatever you bind on earth shall be bound in Heaven; and whatever you loose on earth shall be loosed in Heaven” (Matthew 16:19). The gold key on the left alludes to the Church’s power in the Kingdom of Heaven. The silver key on the right indicates the spiritual authority of the papacy on earth. The mechanisms are turned up towards the heavens and the grips turned down into the hands of the Pope. The presence of the keys symbolizes the continuous connection of the Basilica to the Holy See.
Design of the Shield: The central element of the seal is a shield divided into three distinct sections, which are symbolic of key aspects of the parish’s history and mission.
Upper Section: The upper section of the shield displays the jurisdictional arms of the Archdiocese of Newark, based on the coat of arms of Newark, Nottinghamshire, England, to reflect the origins of the name of the See City. The upper portion of the arms of the Archdiocese includes a silver crescent between two silver trefoils (heraldic shamrocks). The crescent is to honor the Blessed Virgin Mary, in her title of the Immaculate Conception, patroness of the Archdiocese, the United States of America, and the major seminary of the Archdiocese. This ancient symbol of Mary is derived from the Book of Revelations 12:1: “And a great sign appeared in heaven: a woman clothed with the sun, and the moon under her feet, and on her head a crown of 12 stars.” The shamrocks are to honor St. Patrick, titular patron of the Pro-Cathedral; and the red background of the chief is to signify the blood coming forth from Christ’s Sacred Heart, the title of our Cathedral Basilica.
Lower Left: The lower left section of the shield represents the Sacred Heart of Jesus. Devotion to the Sacred Heart of Jesus goes back to the 11th century. St. Margaret Mary Alacoque had multiple visions of the Sacred Heart between 1673 and 1675. However, it wasn’t until 90 years later in 1765, that the feast was officially celebrated in France. In 1856, Pope Pius IX made the feast of the Sacred Heart into a universal celebration.
Lower Right: The lower right section of the shield depicts Pope Saint John Paul II’s coat of arms. This section features a gold cross set against a blue backdrop. The cross represents the central Christian mystery of the Redemption. The vertical part of the cross has been shifted slightly to the left to make room for the majestic capital M, which reminds us of Mary’s presence at Jesus’ death on the cross. St. John Paul II is special to the Cathedral Basilica because it was the Pope himself that elevated the church to a basilica during his visit to Newark on October 4, 1995 after being struck by its grand beauty and rich history.