BLOG POST | THE STORY BEHIND OLL'S LOGO

 THE STORY BEHIND
OUR LADY OF THE LAKE'S LOGO

Welcoming, hospitable, comforting; all words used by parishioners and visitors describing Our Lady of the Lake Catholic Church in Branson, MO.

We have all seen the classic picture of the church. The one where we see the bell tower, steps leading up to the front, and the length of the east side of the building. When you gaze upon that picture or when you drive up to the building, what stirs within you? When kneeling during the consecration and hearing the words "Behold the Lamb of God," what happens?

This parish is coming up on its 100-year anniversary. That is incredible! And now, I have been entrusted with the opportunity to create and encapsulate Our Lady of the Lake, her parishioners, and community into a logo. How do you sum up the sheer joy that is Our Lady of the Lake into a logo? A picture is worth a thousand words? For the divine, there will never be enough words. And that's exactly what happens at Our Lady of the Lake; the divine. 

As conversations progressed around our deep-seated love for Jesus, the Blessed Mother, and this parish; five key elements emerged. 

Five Key Elements of Our Lady of the Lake's Logo

1) A Welcoming Community
2) The Arched Glass of the Windows
3) Hand-Drawn Silhouettes of the Blessed Mother and Child Jesus
4) The Cross at the Top of the Bell Tower
5) The Water from Taney County Lakes and the Four Droplets

1) A Welcoming Community

Yes, the building is beautiful along with the commissioned art inside it, but there is something so far beyond what we see with our human eyes. Some would describe the community here as accepting, hospitable, or lovely. And that loveliness is what keeps visitors coming back and entering a group of Young Disciples and RCIA Candidates/Catechumens confirmed in the faith every year. 

Branson, MO is a tourist town that welcomes thousands of "parishioners-for-a-day" every year. Before I was a parishioner and before I was Catholic, I would hear visitors say how welcoming this parish is. "I love coming to this church" or "They (Ushers) are so sweet" are two things I've heard often. As someone who did not grow up Catholic, this left a lasting impression on me; extending Christ's kindness to those I may never see again.

That welcoming nature, that wrapping love of the Holy Spirit was an element that needed to be in and through our logo.


2) The Arched Glass of the Windows

Whether you are in Mass, lighting a candle, or spending time with the Blessed Sacrament, you can hear the building. The creaks and shifts of the wood and glass ceiling are beautiful. In my first Mass at Our Lady of the Lake, I spent the first few minutes very distracted by the "Hello's" overhead. 

Have you ever stopped to look up at the skylight? Have you noticed that it's in the shape of a cross, just like the way the nave is built? At each end of the cross are the arched glass windows. 

St. John of the Cross said, "Where there is no love, pour love in, and you will draw love out." The curvature of the windows can simultaneously be seen as pouring love into this broken world and drawing love out. With these windows on all four ends of the cross, this was an element that needed to be a part of our logo.


3) Hand-Drawn Silhouette of the Blessed Mother and the Child Jesus

Our Lady of the Lake's logo, of course, needs Our Lady. Many suggestions surfaced, from the commissioned icon to the bronze statue. But something wasn't quite right. So what do you do when you need your Mother's advice? You ask your Mother. Hail Mary, full of Grace, the Lord is with you...paring the Child Jesus with the Blessed Mother was a strong connection that all Christians can contemplate. 

Now we have two to emulate and not just one. I decided to take a step back and look at artwork of the Child Jesus with the Blessed Mother and I noticed a couple of similarities. First, the Virgin Mary is depicted with a mouth that is always very small and hardly ever opened. To me, this shows how few words of the Blessed Mother were recorded in scripture. Also, so much can be said by saying so little. St. Francis of Assissi said, "Preach the Gospel at all times, and if necessary use words." Mary is a perfect example, let us always look to the Queen Mother.

Second, the subtlety of the portrayals of the Child Jesus and Our Lady is so beautiful. So subtle that you don't also notice certain elements until the next time you gaze upon them; mysteries that continue to unfold. "The mystery of Jesus is so profound that sometimes you have to look closely to see all the parts that he has made known."  - Monsignor J. Brian Bransfield

With this in mind, I set out to find a silhouette. A silhouette would perfectly capture the subtlety needed. Middle eastern photos of women in their teens would be the inspiration for the silhouette of the Blessed Mother. And the precious features of my own two babies would lend inspiration for the silhouette of the Child Jesus.


4) The Cross at the Top of the Bell Tower

Along with the arched windows, the cross at the top of the bell tower is another very recognizable architectural element. The classic picture of the Church is known by so many - parishioners, visitors, and the surrounding communities. This cross is simple and subtle and yet symbolizes the whole of Christianity: the resurrection of Jesus Christ.

"The Bible reveals that God fulfilled his saving plan of love to free us from sin. The culmination of the entire Bible are the words and deeds of Jesus, in particular his Passion, death, and glorious Resurrection." - Monsignor J. Brian Bransfield

Now we have come to the most important element of our logo. How can we effectively show the never-ending love of the Father, the Son, and of the Holy Spirit, if we don't have a cross? John 6:38 says, "For I have come down from heaven, not to do My own will, but the will of Him who sent Me." 

You might have noticed the slight tilt of the cross. That was very intentional, in fact, it is the exact tilt from the classic photo of the church we have all come to know and love. 


5) The Water from Taney County Lakes and the Four Droplets

The Branson area is home to beautiful lakes: Table Rock, Taneycomo, and Bull Shoals. As you look out over the water of the blue-green hue, listen to the murmuring of the splashes, and stand in awe of God's beauty, you can understand how Our Lady of the Lake got its name.

The waters from the surrounding lakes had to be a part of the logo in some capacity. When trying to combine the welcoming nature of our parish, the Blessed Mother holding Baby Jesus, the arched windows, and the bell tower's cross; the water was a perfect way to unite all of the elements together. 

The waters in the Branson area are very rarely still. As should be our spiritual life. Always growing and moving towards our Creator, constantly strengthening our personal relationship with Jesus. That is why there are four water droplets. One for the Father, one for the Son, one for the Holy Spirit, and one for you. Because you are the one He loves. You are the one the Good Shepherd leaves the flock of 99 to bring home. St. Julian of Norwich said, "For we are so preciously loved by God that we cannot even comprehend it."

The blue-green colors used in our logo are indicative of the waters in Table Rock, Taneycomo, and Bull Shoals. Colors are associated with certain characteristics. When we were talking about colors, the peace and stability traits of blue, as well as, the growth and healing attributes of green really jump out at us. These characteristics were very much in line with the tone we wanted to convey with this logo. We can see the Holy Spirit guiding us, as soon as we realized water needed to be a centralized element, the blue-green colors seemed to have lept off the photos of the surrounding lakes.


Thank you for your support of our parish!
Please leave a comment below telling us what you think!
 

Author Bio: Nyssa Berhorst