The Shield
At the center of the school seal is a shield divied into three segments. The segment on the right hold a
lamp with a cross.
The lamp symbolizes learning while th cross is a symbol of Christ. On the left portrays the Cotabato area with a
Moro Vinta againts the background of sea,
mountain and coconut tree. The top segment of the shield shows the outline of
Mindanao partially covered with the
Marist seal,
a letter "
A" imposed on "
M", for "Ave Maria", the greeting of the Archangel Gabriel announcing to Mary that she will become the
mother of Jesus. Above this, are
twelve stars, a biblical symbol of the qualities of the woman promised in the
Old Testament Book of Apocalypse. The caption on top of the shield, "
Ad Jesum Per Mariam" (To Jesus through Mary)
is the motto of Saint Marcellin Champagnat, the unique Marist formula to lead men and women to God. Below the shield is the date "1948",
the year of the foundation of the school.
The Rings
Surrounding the shield are the two concentric rings or cicrcles between which is the official name of the school "Notre Dame of Cotabato."
