Banners Display Characteristics of the Marianist Charism at Dayton

The five banners hanging in the Keller Hall Atrium symbolically represent the characteristics of the Marianist Charism as expressed at the University of Dayton. The banners were designed by Bro. Charles Wanda, S.M., an artist at Gallery Saint John.

The first banner features the university’s adopted image of Mary holding her Son Jesus. The banner is blue, the accepted color identified with the Blessed Virgin Mary. The Mary image represents the spirit of Mary as a thread that runs through all aspects of the University community.

This thread runs through the four other banners, tying them together symbolically and artistically.

The second banner is symbolic of the Spirit of Faith, which starts as a small white dot representing the symbol of the mustard seed. It descends from the Holy Spirit and ignites into a symbol of fire.

The third banner depicts the essential element of the charism of Community: a place where others gather around a centrally adopted belief that we, through community, participate in promulgating the goals of a Catholic and Marianist institution of learning.

The fourth banner represents the Inclusivity of all people: female and male; different nationalities, religions, cultures and occupations; young and old, poor and rich; along with the many different elements that make each of us who we are. In this banner, the “Mary thread” takes the form of the fish symbol of her Son, which encloses all in Him.

The fifth banner, Mission, represents the journey back to the Creator. It ties together all five of the characteristics, which we adhere to through service possibilities and the ways in which we live our vocation in service to others during our lifetime.

Located in Mount Saint John in Dayton, Gallery Saint John is a not-for-profit endeavor of the Society of Mary that shows works done by Marianists and their associates in the Dayton community.