School Badge

The School Badge

Every Campionite treasures his School Badge for it speaks volumes to him. The Campion School Badge is prepared along strictly medieval lines. It is in the form of a shield originating from the shields of the knights of old. The shield has three major divisions, each with a different colour background and a scroll containing the school motto “Joy in Truth”, a motto that each Campionite must make his own. Where Truth is achieved, the natural outcome is Joy, and every Campionite in coming to Campion is in search of true knowledge that will enhance his personality, bringing a wholesome joy and light to his life.

This motto is symbolically expressed by three birds that stand for joy while the star, firmly fixed and shedding its radiance, stands for Truth. In days of yore, stars were always guide-posts to lost travelers. Truth achieved through the three R’s brings true joy. This is represented by the three birds flying merrily around the guide-post, Truth.

On the left side, against a red background is a rope shaped like a noose. It stands for the barbarous and gruesome death of Saint Edmund Campion who sacrificed his life joyfully for the love of Truth. He, a great Jesuit scholar at Oxford, was put to death by Queen Elizabeth I. His loyalty to Truth and joy in sacrificing his life for the highest principles is fittingly represented.

Finally, at the base of the shield is to be found the motto of the Society of Jesus. It consists of the Holy Name of Jesus in abbreviated form. This abbreviation is peculiar in the sense that the letters have been taken from the Greek word for ‘first’ which was a symbol of Christ. The little Cross on the top, the three nails below and the whole encircled in a halo of light, further enhance the Holy Name as a symbol that a Jesuit’s life must be permeated with a spirit of love and sacrifice characteristic of His Master, Christ. This symbol of the Jesuits originated from the decorative art of the XVI century and is always in yellow and blue. May the short explanation help each Campionite to treasure his School Badge and ever be loyal and true to Campion.