St. Olaf Logo Meaning

The logo of St. Olaf Catholic Church, DeForest was made to embody several key elements of the parish. The church’s namesake, Olaf, a Viking noble, lived from 990-1030 A.D. He is venerated as the patron saint of Norway. Saint Olaf was a martyr, which is represented by a red cross. The cross is slightly offset to the left, which is similar to the cross in Norway’s  national flag. The final symbol of Saint Olaf is the ax which is taken from Norway’s royal coat of arms which honors St. Olaf in the form of a lion holding an ax.

In the upper right quadrant of the logo there is a crown of thorns. When making the logo there was conversation of choosing a royal crown but in further examination, the crown of thorns was thought to best exemplify the crown Christ wore to save us. The last symbol, and intended to be one of the most prominent images, is that of the Holy Eucharist and chalice representing the Body and Blood of Christ. This is the life of our Church and is the divine nourishment that will carry us into eternity with God.

–A special thanks to Lindsay Finn for her work in designing this parish crest.