A Long Overdue Announcement
It took years for Modern Catholic Pilgrim to develop a logo, so I think it only appropriate that the official unveiling occurs months after we adopted it in May. Isn’t it fantastic? Well worth the wait. Our deepest gratitude goes out to Marta Brown of Alexia Mo Marta Design for her tireless efforts in bringing our vision to fruition. I have included links to her website and Instagram accounts at the end of this post.
It is good to reflect on how we came to be Modern Catholic Pilgrim. The first notes I took regarding how one might combine the Catholic traditions of pilgrimage and hospitality in the United States were under a different name. I cannot pinpoint in that notebook when exactly the switch was made, but I can remember being on a call with David Cable, MCP’s co-founder, early in 2017, and after I worked through the emotions of his rejecting the name I was using in my notes, we came around to what we have now. Clearly, the Spirit was at work since neither of us is all that clever or creative, yet I cannot think of a better name to capture what it is we hope to achieve in sending out prepared pilgrims to holy sites around the United States.
We had a great name, but no logo for years, so I am beyond thankful to have now a logo that upholds the name and mission of the organization. The initial design idea came together through conversations I had with my sister-in-law, a tremendous artist in her own right and someone who also deserves thanks for her work in the process. She drew up sketches that were passed to Marta who brought the heart of the sketches to life. Marta generously practiced tremendous patience with an MCP staff that hemmed and hawed over multiple iterations of the logo before it became clear the work was done.
The pilgrim moves step-by-step toward his or her destination, a holy site somewhere in the United States, while carrying only the essentials. Most importantly, the pilgrim carries Christ within and demonstrates Christ to all encountered on the road. The deep navy blue of the background is a testament to the intercession of Our Lady of the Way, our patroness. Finally, framed by the pilgrim and the Cross is our organization’s name, for we are Catholic pilgrims of the third millennium.
Its simplicity speaks to our simple mission: to send pilgrims out to sacred spaces in the United States to bring their intentions to God and the saints. It is a blessing to have this visual reminder of that mission in front of me every day.
Our Lady of the Way, pray for us.
Alexia Mo Marta Design Website: https://www.alexiamomartadesign.com/
Alexia Mo Marta Design Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/alexiamomarta_design/
Marta’s Personal Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/martaanndesign/