The pelican was chosen in early Christian times as a symbol of Christ’s self-giving love on the cross and in the Eucharist. The choice was based on a legend that the mother pelican feeds her young with blood from a wound she makes in her breast when no food is available.

The quotation, “The love of Christ impels us,” was used so consistently by St. Louise de Marillac and St. Vincent de Paul that it became the motto of the first Daughters of Charity. It is also the motto of the Sisters of Charity of Nazareth, who were founded in 1812 and follow the Rule of St. Vincent de Paul. The pelican is a fitting symbol of this scriptural text.

When, in 1830, Mother Catherine Spalding, Bishop Flaget and Bishop David were given the mandate to design a seal for the SCN legal corporation, Nazareth Literary and Benevolent Institution (NLBI), they naturally chose the pelican surrounded by the corporation title. The Sisters of Charity of Nazareth have an unbroken tradition of combining the motto and the essential design of this original seal, adapting it for specific uses. In this series of books on the history of the second century of the SCN community, this tradition continues.