Liturgical Symbols – Text
Liturgical Symbols – Text and Christograms?
Written by: Conrad Schmitt Studios
The stained glass window of Saints Cyril and Methodius in the St. John Paul II Chapel at Mundelein Seminary in Illinois features The Word of God as not only a prominent visual component, but most importantly as a central, devotional focus. Serving to guide seminarians in their calling to the priesthood, this stained glass window reiterates the value of spiritual communication through text, body language, and iconography.
Saint Cyril presents the Glagolitic alphabet, while Saint Methodius holds an ornate Bible close to his heart, reiterating the brothers’ efforts in sharing the good news through translating the Bible into Old Church Slavonic, or Old Bulgarian. [1]
Decorative text is also incorporated for letters, initials, and abbreviations in upper and lower case forms. Sacred monograms, or Christograms, are abbreviations for the name of Jesus Christ which utilize Greek letters and spelling:
IHS includes the Greek letters iota (I), eta (H), and sigma (Σ, σ, ς), abbreviating the Greek word IΗΣΟΥΣ, or “Jesus.” These letters are painted within an illusionistic tromp l’oeil decoration at St. Anne Catholic Church in Somerset, Wisconsin. The figure of Saint Cyril at Mundelein Seminary references this symbol through his hand gesture of blessing, or benediction. These two distinct physical manifestations of spiritual blessing in both text and gesture emphasize the passage of John 1:14 “The Word became flesh and dwelt among us,” paralelling the promise of a Savior in the Old Testament, while pointing to the physical birth of Jesus in the New Testament.
IC XC features the Greek letters iota (I), sigma (Σ, σ, ς), and chi (Χ). IC comes from the first and last letters of the word ΙΗCΟΥC, “Jesus,” while XC comes from the first and last letters of ΧΡΙCΤΟC, “Christ.” St. Gregory the Great Parish in Milwaukee, Wisconsin incorporates this abbreviation in addition to other inscriptions above Christ’s crucifixion.
Chi-Rho (☧) comprises the Greek letters chi (Χ) and rho (Ρ), the first two letters of “Christ,” or ΧΡΙΣΤΟΣ in Greek. A stained glass detail at the Law School Chapel at the University of Notre Dame in Indiana includes this symbol within a quatrefoil.
lpha (Α, α) and omega (Ω, ω) are the first and last letters of the Greek alphabet, reiterating God as the beginning and the end, as referenced in the Book of Revelation. The Notre Dame Seminary in New Orleans, Louisiana includes these letters within the halo around Christ in a painted mural.
While these examples often feature imagery with text as a secondary element, visual representations could also combine both image and text at a similar scale. This approach references the interplay of words and pictures within illuminated manuscripts. These books were often used for devotional purposes to communicate religious narratives or guide individuals in prayer. Conrad Schmitt Studios, Inc. is privileged to house a 15th century Spanish songbook in our archives, belonging to the permanent collection of the Gruenke Foundation for the Arts. The notes and text are beautiful images because of the calligraphic scripts, while additional beauty comes from vocalization through worship, presenting a multi-sensory experience.
In addition to liturgical spaces, other public centers and facilities use Greek letters for abbreviations and other pleasing representations of text through typography. College sororities and fraternities make use of Greek letters for their names, relying on these symbols to identify their buildings. Roman numerals are extensions of this history for both civic and religious buildings, where these placeholders can be images or decorations themselves. In a liturgical context, Roman numerals are often used to number stations of the cross in sequential order. Through both fabrication and restoration, Conrad Schmitt Studios, Inc. revives typographic symbols to ensure readability for contemporary audiences while upholding historic representation.
REFERENCES:
IHS
https://www.catholicherald.com/article/columns/what-does-ihs-mean/
IC XC – clarifying sigma
https://restlesspilgrim.net/blog/2011/05/03/ic-xc/
Saints Cyril and Methodius
[1] https://www.britannica.com/biography/Saints-Cyril-and-Methodius
CSS Case Studies:
https://conradschmitt.com/project/pope-st-john-paul-ii-chapel/
https://conradschmitt.com/project/university-of-notre-dame-law-school-chapel/
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