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LEARN OUR HISTORY
THE HARVARD CATHOLIC CENTER THROUGH THE YEARS
October 29, 2020
1976
Karol Wojtyla, Archbishop of Krakow, speaks at Harvard during a summer session. He would become Pope John Paul II two years later.
TODAY
Catholics at Harvard and beyond consider the HCC their go-to place for growing in their spiritual, social, and intellectual life
MAY 1893
The Harvard Catholic Club is first organized by Catholic students from various departments with the support of Harvard President Charles Eliot
1960's
1991-1993
The HCC entrance and building is remodeled to include student lounge, meeting rooms, and library, making it a common gathering space for Catholics at Harvard
THE HARVARD CATHOLIC SEAL
At the center is a curved bridge, reminiscent of the bridges over the nearby Charles River and emblematic of the English university from which our city of Cambridge gets its name.The heart above the bridge, emanating rays of divine love, is taken from the coat of arms of our patron, Saint John Henry Cardinal Newman, the great Anglican convert to Catholicism and author of “The Idea of a University.” Below the bridge is the book from the seal of Harvard, inscribed with the phrase “Veritas,” or “Truth,” and laid upon the sword of the martyrdom of our parish patron, St. Paul. Written underneath, the motto “Christo et Ecclesiae” (“For Christ and the Church”), adopted from the original Harvard seal, proclaims the aim and goal of the Catholic Center. Both book and sword are depicted on a crimson background, the Harvard color of power, life and energy.
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