150th Anniversary Logo

Our 150th Anniversary logo was created by Ana Rodas. Ana shares some of the inspiration behind the creation of this logo.

When Bishop Lou approached me about the logo idea he mentioned he wanted something that drew people from all our vicariates together.

As I sat with that thought I considered how important a cathedral is to any diocese. Sure the Cathedral of St. Mary's is the church of the Bishop, but it is more than that. It brings the people of the Peoria Diocese together for so many major celebrations, such as, Rite of Election, Confirmations, Chrism Mass, Diaconate and Priestly Ordinations. It invites schools to learn about the Cathedral's rich history, visit our +230 relics, learn about the cathedral and other items of the bishop's vestments. It also draws visitors from all over the nation and world to visit Venerable Fulton J. Sheen's tomb. I knew that no matter what the logo evolved to be it had to be centered around the Cathedral of St. Mary's.

In my time there, I had taken various photos of the Cathedral's interior and exterior, so I studied them. I pulled out a few architectural eye-catching pieces that I could manipulate and draw with. Ultimately, I decided upon using the large circular stained glass window on the front of the Cathedral. 

Based on the petals of the stained glass I worked on many iterations to bring it to life. In one of my meetings with Bishop Lou, he suggested the incorporation of corn and water. Corn because the majority of our agricultural land provides corn. The water because the Diocese was established on the river. This is where I incorporated corn and water imagery within the stained glass window. We only had another iteration of this idea and we essentially settled on a final.”