Inside the 75th Anniversary Logo: Faith and Mission of Southern Africa's Catholic Bishops

Johannesburg, 18 January, 2026 / 10:37 am (ACI Africa). Members of the Southern African Catholic Bishops’ Conference (SACBC) have presented a logo that goes beyond commemoration, offering a symbolically layered visual reflection on 75 years of ecclesial life, mission, and witness across Botswana, Eswatini and South Africa. Rather than serving merely as a celebratory emblem, the anniversary logo explained in a Saturday, January 17 report shared with ACI Africa unparks the Church’s memory, identity, and future direction through symbols rooted in Scripture, tradition, and lived experience. The logo marks the 75th Anniversary of the Establishment of the Southern African Hierarchy, founded on 11 January 1951 by Pope Pius XII. It has been presented ahead of the opening Eucharistic celebration of the Anniversary to be held at the Church of the Beatitudes in Zwavelpoort in South Africa’s Pretoria Catholic Archdiocese on Sunday, January 25. Credit: SACBC Over three-quarters of a century, the hierarchy has guided the People of God in the SACBC member countries through moments of mission, struggle, liberation, reconciliation, and renewal. Each element of the logo has been intentionally chosen to narrate this journey in visual form. The crosier – decades of Episcopal Ministry At the centre of the design stands the crosier, the staff traditionally associated with Bishops and pastoral leadership. Rooted in Christ the Good Shepherd, as proclaimed in John 10:11, the crosier recalls decades of Episcopal Ministry dedicated to teaching, sanctifying, and guiding the people of God. The crosier is a reminder that authority in the Church is inseparable from service, particularly in the Southern African region shaped by profound social and political change. The symbol of the crosier echoes the call for shepherds who walk closely with their people, sharing both their burdens and their hopes. The number 75 – The jubilee milestone, journeying “with trust” Interwoven with the crosier is the number 75, signifying the jubilee milestone. Its significance, however, is not limited to chronology, the January 17 report indicates. Credit: SACBC The number also evokes the biblical account of Abram setting out in faith at the age of 75 (Genesis 12:4). In this way, the logo frames the anniversary not only as an act of remembrance but also as a renewed call to trust and obedience. The number 75 suggests that the Church, like Abram, is continually invited to journey “forward with trust,” responding to God’s call with courage, particularly in the direction of deeper synodality and sustainability. SACBC Coat of Arms – Safeguarding of faith Anchoring the logo is the SACBC Coat of Arms, which situates the anniversary within the apostolic mission of the three-nation Catholic Bishops’ Conference. Credit: SACBC Like a shield, as recalled in Ephesians 6:16, the Coat of Arms symbolises the safeguarding of faith and the faithful transmission of the Gospel from one generation to the next. The Coat of Arms affirms continuity, reminding the people of God that the work of the hierarchy is part of an unbroken apostolic tradition serving the Church in Botswana, Eswatini, and South Africa. People with raised arms - Synodality Prominently featured are figures with raised arms, representing the people of God in their unity, diversity, and joy. (Story continues below) These figures embody the vision articulated in the November 1964 Dogmatic Constitution on the Church, Lumen Gentium: a Church that listens, walks together, celebrates, and discerns in communion. The varied colours of the people with raised arms recall the event of Pentecost, pointing to the richness of cultures and peoples brought together by the Holy Spirit across the Southern African region. The imagery of the people with raised arms underscores a synodal Church in which Bishops, Clergy, members of Institutes of Consecrated Life and the Societies of Apostolic Life (ICLSAL), and Laity share responsibility for mission. Botswana, Eswatini and South Africa’s national flags The inclusion of the national flags of Botswana, Eswatini, and South Africa grounds the 75th Anniversary logo in concrete realities. These flags honour the three nations within the pastoral territory of the SACBC and affirm the Church’s incarnational presence in each context. The flags speak to a long-standing commitment to human dignity, justice, peace, and solidarity, particularly amid the historical and contemporary challenges that have impacted the people of God in the three countries. The boat – the Church as the Barque of Peter At the base of the logo is the image of a boat, an ancient Christian symbol of the Church as the Barque of Peter. Credit: SACBC Drawing on the Gospel account of the disciples crossing stormy waters with Jesus Christ (Mark 4:35–41), the boat represents mission, pilgrimage, and trust. It conveys a people of God who continues to sail forward through uncertainty, guided by the person of Jesus Christ and sustained by the Holy Spirit. The colour green – Life, growth, and renewal The colour green features prominently throughout the design, symbolising life, growth, and renewal. The colour green resonates with the call of the May 2015 Encyclical Letter of the late Pope Francis on care for our common home, Laudato Si’, highlighting ecological responsibility as both a moral and spiritual imperative. In this sense, the logo links care for creation with care for the poor and with responsibility towards future generations, integrating environmental concern into the Church’s broader mission. The 75th Anniversary theme – Walking together in faith The anniversary theme, displayed as a banner within the logo, reads: “Walking Together in Faith: Towards Synodality and Sustainability.” Credit: SACBC This phrase captures the heart of the jubilee. “Walking together” reflects the synodal journey inspired by the disciples on the road to Emmaus (Luke 24:13–35), while “sustainability” extends that journey into ecological discipleship and responsible stewardship of God’s creation. “A communal arc” – Unity in diversity Taken as a whole, the logo forms a communal arc that evokes the Body of Christ – a people of God united yet diverse, rooted in history yet oriented towards the future. Credit: SACBC The logo celebrates not simply an institutional anniversary, but a shared pilgrimage of grace. As members of the SACBC have explained in the January 17 report, the 75th Anniversary logo “is not simply a commemorative symbol, but a visual homily – a proclamation of a Church grounded in apostolic shepherding, enriched by its people, committed to mission, and journeying together in faith towards synodality and sustainability.” In marking 75 years of the Southern African Hierarchy, the logo invites the people of God to give thanks for the past, to discern the present, and to walk forward together with hope into the future. Credit: SACBC Earlier, Stephen Cardinal Brislin of South Africa’s of Johannesburg Catholic Archdiocese described the 75th Anniversary of the Southern African Hierarchy as a milestone that invites gratitude for the past, honest reflection on hard-won struggles, and renewed hope for the future. In an interview with the SACBC Communications Officer, Sheila Leocádia Pires, Cardinal Brislin situated the jubilee within the Church’s lived history, its synodal present, and its universal communion under Pope Leo XIV. Stephen Cardinal Brislin. Credit: SACBC He said that the hierarchy that refers to the Church structure comprising 26 Dioceses in South Africa, two in Botswana, and one in Eswatini is “something that we must truly be very grateful for today, that we do have that structure that has enabled the Church to grow, and certainly enabled good pastoral care of people in their various Dioceses and Parishes.” ACI Africa was founded in 2019. We provide free, up-to-the-minute news affecting the Catholic Church in Africa, giving particular emphasis to the words of the Holy Father and happenings of the Holy See, to any person with access to the internet. 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