September 2026

We are pleased to introduce our new St. James Parish logo, featured for the first time in our October 4, 2026 bulletin. Thoughtfully designed to reflect our parish’s history, faith, and identity, our new logo has been approved by our Parish Pastoral Council. In this article, we invite you to discover the meaning behind the symbols and words that make it uniquely ours.

First, what is a Logo, and why would we choose to use one?

A logo is a visual symbol that helps people recognize and identify an organization. For a parish, however, a logo can be much more than a picture or decorative design. It can tell the story of who we are, where we come from, and what we hold dear as a community of faith. A parish logo gives us a recognizable identity that we will be using consistently in our bulletin, website, social media, parish correspondence, signs, banners, and other parish materials. When we see the same logo in these different places, it helps us immediately recognize something as belonging to our St. James Parish family. Our new logo was thoughtfully created to tell our story as St. James Parish and each part of the design has a purpose.

The Story Behind Our New St. James Parish Logo

At the top of our seal are the words: ST. JAMES PARISH. The name identifies us as a parish community rather than simply a building. Our parish is a family of people who gather together in faith, worship, prayer, and service. The circular shape of the logo also gives the design the appearance of a traditional parish seal—something that connects our present-day parish with the generations who have come before us.

1907 — Remembering Our History - At the heart of the lower portion of our logo is the year: ESTABLISHED 1907 - The year 1907 represents an important part of our parish history and reminds us that we are part of something much bigger than ourselves. Generations of Catholics have worshiped, prayed, celebrated the Sacraments, raised their families, served others, and passed their faith on to the next generation. When we look at 1907, we are reminded of those who came before us—and of our responsibility to continue the faith they entrusted to us. Our logo therefore looks both backward with gratitude and forward with hope.

Our Church Building - At the center of the logo is a representation of our actual St. James church building. We intentionally chose our own church rather than a generic church image. This is the place where our parish family gathers for Sunday Eucharist. It is where we celebrate Baptisms, First Communions, Confirmations, Weddings, and Funerals. It is where we come together in times of joy and times of sorrow. The building represents much more than brick, windows, doors, and a roof. It represents home. It is the place where generations of St. James parishioners have encountered Christ and where our Catholic faith continues to be lived and celebrated. 

The Fuller’s Club — St. James the Less - One of the most special elements of our new logo is the fuller's club that is shown on top of the scroll, which helps distinguish our patron from St. James the Greater. St. James the Less—also known as James the Younger—is traditionally represented in Christian art with a fuller's club, an instrument associated with the traditional account of his martyrdom. The fuller’s club is therefore one of the recognized attributes used to identify St. James the Less. The club gives our logo a very personal connection to our parish's patron. It tells us: This is St. James the Less. It is a small symbol, but it carries an important message about the saint whose name our parish bears.

The Scroll — The Word of God - Along with the fuller's club, our logo includes a scroll. The scroll represents Sacred Scripture and the written Word of God, and it has a particularly appropriate connection to St. James the Less because the New Testament contains the Letter of James, traditionally attributed to James. Christian artistic traditions sometimes depict St. James the Less with both the fuller's club and a book or written work associated with his Epistle.

The scroll therefore reminds us that our faith is not simply something we inherit—it is something we are called to know, live, and share. The Word of God continues to teach us how to live our lives as disciples of Jesus Christ.

The Cross - The cross appears prominently in our logo and above our church. For us as Catholics, the cross needs little explanation: it is the central sign of our Christian faith. The cross reminds us of the love of Jesus Christ, His sacrifice for us, and His victory over sin and death. It also reminds us that everything we do as a parish ultimately points back to Christ and that He is at the center of everything we do.

Faith • Family • Tradition - Perhaps these three simplest words in our logo carry one of its most important messages. These three words express something fundamental about who we are as St. James Parish.

FAITH - Our faith in Jesus Christ is our foundation. We gather to worship, receive the Sacraments, hear God's Word, pray, and grow in our relationship with Christ.

FAMILY - We are more than individuals who happen to attend the same church. We are a parish family. We support one another, celebrate together, mourn together, serve together, and welcome others into our community.

TRADITION - We treasure the Catholic faith that has been handed down to us through generations. We honor those who came before us while faithfully passing that faith on to those who will come after us.

Together: Faith. Family. Tradition - These words remind us where we stand, who we are, and what we hope to pass on.

A Logo That Tells Our Story - When we see our new logo, may it remind us that we are part of a faith-filled family with a rich history and a shared responsibility to carry our Catholic faith forward.