One thing I did not expect to learn in Lugano, Switzerland, was the existence of the Catholic patron saint of communications, advertising and PR : Saint Bernardino of Siena.
St. Bernardino (Bernadine, 1380 to 1444 AD) was an exceptional preacher who captivated large crowds with his charisma and eloquence. During his missionary travels, he carried around a monogram (aka a logo design) that depicted the words IHS (often interpreted as Iesus Hominum Salvator “Jesus, Savior of men” in Latin) set against a sun with 12 radiating sunrays (representing the 12 apostles). He would hold up this monogram, printed on a tablet, when blessing the sick.
I first encountered the monogram at the Chiesa di Santa Maria degli Angeli in Lugano’s town centre. It was not only on the front door, it was painted all over the walls inside. I have never seen a logo being emblazoned repeatedly in a church before. The logo is also very well-designed – easily recognisable from a distance, having dynamic elements of sunrays anchored by the cross and “IHS” words in bold Gothic font (with shadowed bezels too, wow). I might print a tee-shirt with this logo when I get home, I’m sure it’s no longer copyrighted.
I’m a Protestant, but I’ve always admired the Catholics for their ability to spread God’s Word in a very visual way. Discovering St. Bernardino’s use of the monogram is very humbling – I now know that a logo can be used for doing good, not just selling consumer goods.
