History

In the summer of 1958, shortly after the Ateneo de Cagayan had been elevated to university status and renamed Xavier University, Father Francisco Araneta SJ, Rector, asked me to design a new seal for the new university. The assignment was difficult because too many things had to be incorporated into the seal. Among them: (1) the old seal and motto of the Ateneo de Cagayan; (2) symbol of its founder, Archbishop James TG Hayes SJ; (3) a symbol of St. Ignatius of Loyola; (4) the monogram of the Society of Jesus; (5) a symbol of the Immaculate Conception of the Blessed Virgin Mary, principal patroness of the school; (6) a symbol of the new secondary patron, St. Francis Xavier. All these rules had to be incorporated, while adhering strictly to heraldic rules.

How to combine all that in a seal that did not look cluttered was a major challenge.

When my design was submitted in the mid-summer, Father Araneta was not sure whether it was heraldically correct. So, he sent it for judgment by the heraldic expert, Bishop Mariano Madriaga of Lingayen – Dagupan. The Bishop’s verdict: “Excellent. No change needed.”

 
Heraldic Description
 
The shield: Party per fess, the chief per pale. Dexter chief: azure, and inverted crescent argent. Sinister chief: gules, a plume - pen and book surmounted by an eagle with outspread wings, proper. In base: argent, the wolves-and-pot of Loyola, sable.

Superimposed at fess: a medallion or, the monogram HIS (iota, eta, sigma, in capitals), gules, the eta surmounted by a cross, below, three nails fanwise, gules.

The shield set in a circular field or, above the year 1933; below, a small scroll with the motto VERITAS LIBERABIT VOS. The whole circled by two semi-circular scrolls. In the upper, XAVIER UNIVERSITY; In the lower, ATENEO DE CAGAYAN.


Fr Miguel A Bernad, SJ