Catholic Symbols and Icons

An icon is a work of art or or image, picture, or representation of an object which, for this post, is going to be associated with the Catholic Religion. Throughout history, various cultures have been inspired or supplemented by these images, whether in two dimensions or three.

In Christianity, the icon generally depicts a holy being or object such as Jesus, Mary, saints, angels, or the cross. Creating free-standing, three-dimensional sculptures of holy figures was resisted by Christians for many centuries, out of the belief that demons inhabited "pagan" sculptures.

Almost everything within the image has a symbolic aspect. Christ, the saints, and the angels all have halos, angels have wings because they are messengers, etc..  In addition to icons there are also Christograms which are monograms or a combination of letters that form an abbreviation for the name of Jesus Christ. Different types of Christograms are associated with the various traditions of Christianity; such as the IHS monogram referring to the Holy Name of Jesus or ΙϹΧϹ referring to Christ.

IHS
The most common Christogram became "IHS" or "IHC", denoting the first three letters of the Greek name of Jesus, iota-eta-sigma.

The Greek letter iota is represented by I, and the eta by H, while the Greek letter sigma is represented by S. Because the Latin-alphabet letters I and J were not distinguished until the 17th century, "JHS" and "JHC" can be equivalent to "IHS" and "IHC".

"IHS" is sometimes interpreted as meaning Iesus Hominum Salvator ("Jesus, Savior of men" in Latin). These other interpretations are known as backronyms. English-language interpretations of "IHS" have included "I Have Suffered" or "In His Service".

INRI

INRI or I.N.R.I. a Latin acronym reading Iesus Nazarenus Rex Iudaeorum, which in English translates to "Jesus of Nazareth King of the Jews", the Latin inscription over the cross of Christ on Calvary. The Greek version reads ΙΝΒΙ.

Most crucifixes with Jesus include a plaque or parchment placed above his head, called a titulus, bearing the Latin letters INRI, or it appears occasionally carved directly into the cross and usually just above the head of Jesus.

Ichthys  

Among the early Christians icons, the fish seems to have been one of the most important. It consists of the initial letters of five Greek words forming the word for fish. According to tradition, ancient Christians used the fish symbol to mark meeting places and tombs, or to distinguish between friends and enemies.

Alpha and Omega  

These are the first and the last letters of the Greek alphabet, alpha (α or Α) and omega (ω or Ω). The term Alpha and Omega comes from the phrase  “I am the Alpha and Omega, the first and the last" - Jesus. From the Book of Revelation (verses 1:8, 21:6, and 22:13).

Staurogram

The Staurogram (meaning monogram of the cross or Monogrammatic Cross) is composed by a tau (Τ) superimposed on a rho (Ρ). The Staurogram was first used to abbreviate the Greek word for cross in very early New Testament manuscripts.The tau refers to the cross, and the rho refers to the Greek word "help".

Chi Rho  

The Chi Rho is formed by superimposing the first two (capital) letters chi and rho (ΧΡ) of the Greek word "ΧΡΙΣΤΟΣ" =Christ in such a way to produce the monogram.

IH Monogram

The initials of the name of Jesus in Greek, iota (Ι) and eta (Η), sometime superimposed one on the other, or their numeric value 18, was a well known and very early way to represent Christ.

IX Monogram

This early form of the "monogram" of Christ was formed by superimposing the first  letters of the Greek words for Jesus and Christ 

- iota Ι and chi Χ.

Rosary

The rosary (from Latin rosarium, meaning "rose garden"or "garland of roses") is a Catholic devotion to prayer and is used to commemorate Jesus Christ and events of his life. The term "Rosary" is used to describe either a sequence of prayers or a string of prayer beads. The type of rosary and number of beads may vary between religious communities. Similar beads are used in other cultures; for example, the Greek use worry beads, which are used in a similar way, abut have no religious significance.

Garden Benches and Green Spaces

Garden benches are often used throughout public and private parks to give visitors places to rest and relax outdoors. To use a flexible material for these benches, such as wood or plastic, would require regular upkeep, continuous cleaning, and pest control and protection from the elements. Manufacturing benches out of granite generally means less maintenance, no need for pest control, and no protection required from weathering.

Business owners frequently utilize granite benches for company "green spaces" and garden areas; giving employees quiet places to relax while on break or eating lunch outdoors. They are sometimes used near entrances or high traffic areas where customers may have wait times for certain services. A company name, corporate logo, or laser etched photo can further personalize these commercial "green spaces".

The symbol for rest, repose and contemplation, garden bench memorials have their origins in the spacious seats used by philosophers in ancient temples and basilicas. Early examples were semi-circullar, but have evolved to more contemporary rectangular dimensions.

You can visit a loved one's grave to rest and reflect with comfort on a garden bench memorial that has a back. They also have larger engraving surfaces compared to simple straight memorial benches. This makes the lettering larger and more easily visible as you approach the gravesite. 

The backs and seats of garden bench memorials are often personalized with images, prayers and poems. The comfortable back rest and seat sizing allows for generous granite surfaces to help memorialize your loved one. Check with your manufacturer for available granite colors and finish options, as they may vary by region. Bases can also be added to garden benches, depending upon your preference, terrain and location.

 

Green Burial and Natural Monuments

Green burial is the interment of the body in the soil in a manner that allows the body to recycle naturally. The body may be prepared without chemical preservatives which can destroy the microbial decomposers that break the body down. Biodegradable coffins, containers or wraps are utilized with no outer burial container. The grave should be shallow enough to allow activity similar to that found in composting.

A wide variety of land management techniques including sustainable agriculture, restoration ecology and conservation projects may be used to maintain the burial area/green cemetery. Landscaping is not utilized as the methods may accelerate or slow down the decomposition rate of bodies, depending on the soil system and chemicals or pesticides used.

Natural coffins are suggested and are made from materials that quickly biodegrade. Ideally the materials are easily renewed or recycled and require less energy for their production. While there are generally no restrictions on the type of coffin used, most sites encourage the use of environmentally friendly coffins made from cardboard or wicker. A simple cotton shroud is another option.

Natural burial grounds employ a variety of methods of memorialization. Headstones, boulders, and other common flat markers may be allowed. Green burial headstones, or gravemarkers, are usually designed with the landscape in mind, to minimalize footprint, blend in with the landscape while further reducing natural resources (that can come from producing larger monuments). Flat markers are extremely common, as are boulder-like monuments with rock finishes. And for the nature-lover, there are always hand-sculpted memorials in any size required by the cemetery. Be sure to check with your cemetery's specifications for green burials.

Trees, shrubs, and flowers planted on or near the grave can provide a living memorial and help create habitat.

The Green Burial Council certifies three categories of cemeteries:

1. Hybrid Burial Grounds

2. Natural Burial Grounds

3. Conservation Burial Grounds

Hybrid Burial Grounds are conventional cemeteries offering the option for burial without the use of an outer burial container of any type. Hybrid Burial Grounds must allow for any kind of burial containers including shrouds.

 

Natural Burial Grounds in addition to the above requirement, are also required to use protocols that are energy-conserving, minimize waste, and do not require the use of toxic chemicals. They must have a program of Integrated Pest Management and maintain a naturalistic appearance, based on use of plants and materials compatible with regional ecosystems.

Conservation Burial Grounds, in addition to meeting all the requirements above, they must also protect, in perpetuity, an area of land specifically and exclusively designated for conservation. They must involve an established conservation organization that holds a conservation easement or guarantee of long-term stewardship of the property.