SJB Traditions
SJB Seal

Explanation of our School Seal:

Outer circle: Gold with blue text in the color version. This contains the name of the school and its year of founding, 1959. "A.D." is the Latin abbreviation for "Anno Domini" translated "In the year of the Lord"

Motto at bottom: The motto chosen for the school comes from the words of our patron, St. John the Baptist. "Parate Viam" is the Latin for "Prepare the Way". These words are a good summary of what St. John's School is all about: preparing the way for the children of today.

Shield at bottom: The hills are green in the color version. They evoke the green hills of Ireland and the school's mascot, the "Fighting Irish" as well as the national background of the Sisters of Mercy who founded the school.

Shield in the mid section: The Lamb with the halo at the heart of the shield is a symbol for Jesus, the Lamb of God, at the heart of our school's life. It was St. John the Baptist who first called Jesus "the Lamb of God" on the banks of the river Jordan. These are words which we use each day at Mass. Jesus is portrayed as a Lamb to remind us that He is God's Son offered in sacrifice for us. But the Lamb also carries a flag (in the color version it is white with a red cross on it). This is the banner of the Risen Christ and a reminder that after His suffering and pain He entered into the light of the Resurrection (symbolized by the golden rays) and reigns in glory at the right hand of the Father.

Shield at the top: The sky is blue, one of the school colors. The shield is surmounted by the distinctive Cross of the Sisters of Mercy who have staffed the school from its inception in 1959. This Cross, often seen on the lapel of Sr. Vianney, is a reminder for all future generations of the roots of the school in the Mercy tradition of Catherine McAuley, who founded her Congregation in Ireland in 1829 for the service of the people of God.