PLAQUE, RELIGIOUS

Description: BLUE PAINTED CROSS IS FOLDED, HAS 1 INCH FOLDED STEEL EDGE AND STRAIGHT CUT CORNERS. HAS HOLE IN CENTER AND AT MIDDLE OF TOP EDGE TO BE MOUNTED. CROSS HAS HAND PAINTED COAT OF ARMS IN MIDDLE. COAT OF ARMS HAS GOLD, FIVE SIDED FIELD WITH JERUSALEM CROSS AND WHITE BOAT BEHIND FIELD. BOAT HAS FLAG AT EACH END WITH RED CROSS ON IT. SILVER BANNER BENEATH FIELD HAS "DEO SOLI" IN IT IN BLACK. GOLD FIELD HAS SECOND DIAMOND SHAPED FIELD IN IT THAT IS OVER RED CHI-RHO SYMBOL. DIAMOND HAS RAMPANT DRAGON INSIDE WITH GOLD PHIALE AND ASPERGILLUM ABOVE IT. PAINT IS CHIPPING, FLAKING AND HAS NUMEROUS SCRATCHES.

History: CROSS WAS FASTENED TO THE FRONT OF ST. MICHAEL'S HOSPITAL AND HAS THE COAT OF ARMS OF THE SISTERS OF ST. MARTHA. THE HERALDRIC SUMMARY IS AS FOLLWS: "THE COAT OF ARMS CONSISTS OF TWO SHIELDS. THE FIRST BEARS THE CONSTANTINE MONOGRAM, THE MOST ANCIENT SYMBOL OF CHRIST. THE GOLDEN FIELD SYMBOLIZES THE WEALTH MADE AVAILABLE FOR MANKIND THROUGH THE DEATH OF CHRIST. THE COLOR, RED, IS SYMBOLIC OF CHRIST'S LOVE FOR ST. MARTHA AND OF JERUSALEM WHERE THE ACTUAL SHEDDING OF CHRIST'S BLOOD TOOK PLACE. THE JERUSALEM CROSS SURMOUNTING THE SHIELD IS A FURTHER REMINDER OF JERUSALEM'S ROLE IN THE DRAMA OF OUR REDEMPTION. A SECOND SHIELD, IMPOSED ON THE FIRST, PROCLAIMS THE UNION BETWEEN CHRIST AND THE VIRGIN. THE COLORS, SILVER AND BLUE, INDICATE THE VIRGIN AS THE PURE BRIDE OF CHRIST. HER SHIELD IS PARTED AT THE HONOR POINT TO SHOW SHE HAS FOUGHT AGAINST THE ENEMY OF CHRIST (THE DRAGON), AND CONQUERED HIM BY USE OF BLESSED WATER. THE SAILESS BOAT WHOSE ONLY IDENTIFICATION IS THE CROSS OF CHRIST, SYMBOLIZES THE CONSECRATED LIFE OF MARTHA, A LIFE WHICH CAN BE SUMMARIZED IN THE MOTTO AT THE BASE OF THE COAT OF ARMS. DEO SOLI - FOR GOD ALONE." THE CROSS WAS REMOVED FROM THE HOSPITAL BEFORE THE HOSPITAL WAS DEMOLISHED IN 1996. FOR MORE HISTORY ON THE HOSPITAL SEE P19960116001-GA.