1. The Archangel Gabriel

“Gabriel” means “the strength of God.” The strong silhouette of our patron reminds us that, despite the significant challenges we face, we have the strength of God with us. The figure calls us to be courageous as we share the Good News in service of the mission to make disciples who make other disciples.
 

2. The Cross

The angel holds a cross as his staff signifying the Paschal Mystery as the fulcrum of faith. The cross is how Jesus wants his disciples to understand what it means to be a disciple: “If any want to become my followers, let them deny themselves and take up their cross and follow me" (MT 16:24). Our work of making missionary disciples is a sharing in Jesus' work of redemption.
 

3. The Trumpet

Gabriel’s task in the Bible is to always announce the in-breaking of God’s grace into the world. Here, the trumpet speaks of the Annunciation, the announcement of the Gospel, and the announcement of Judgment. It is also a summons to assembly and action, a call to worship and a commissioning.
 

4. The Wings

The wings stretched upward convey the boldness of grace and the outreach of mission. They evoke the Holy Spirit as fire. The wings, too, look like a heart signifying the Sacred Heart of Jesus and Immaculate Heart of Mary. Finally, the wings illustrate how we are to point others upward, into the life of God.
 

5. The Colors

Since the fifth century, Mary has traditionally been portrayed in blue because it is the color of an empress, as she is the Queen of Heaven and our Mother. Gold signifies the invaluable worth of the gifts and mysteries we have received from God, but also reminds us of the Pittsburgh region, where we are called to live out the mission.
 

6. The Font

The font choice includes serif (traditional looking) and sans-serif (modern looking). The combination is not only a good design principle but also holds meaning. The serif font illustrates that we are steeped in the rich tradition of the Church while the sans-serif font signifies our mission to be creative in breaking out of the doors of our churches to bring others to Jesus.