ur Parish symbol is a pelican based on an Aboriginal design. We use the pelican because it has a long history in Christian symbolism. As an archetypal image of Christ, the Pelican is a helpful symbol for faith development, for many reasons:
the Pelican dwells where there is plenty of water for life
the Pelican can live on several dimensions of life (swimming, walking or flying high), on the earth or in the heavens
the Pelican can be alone but moves and thrives beautifully, and most effectively, in formation with others
the Pelican catches and lives on fish (the early Christian symbol for Christ and the Christian life
there is a long-standing tradition within Christianity that the Pelican is a Christ-symbol. For in early days it was
believed that the Pelican fed its young with its own life-blood, like Christ (pouring out his lifeblood for others) a symbol of self-giving love
in Christian tradition, the image of 'the pelican in the wilderness' (Psalm 102:6) has also been used as a symbol of holiness
As a natural creature present throughout our area, the Pelican is an important and obvious symbol for deeper reflection and exploration into the God present amongst us, in the lives we share together, in our common faith and in our shared environment.
