Emblems - Brotherhood of Saint John the Evangelist

The emblem of the brotherhood of Saint John the Evangelist is based on the eagle of Pátmos, with the emblem of the brotherhood of Our Beloved Father Jesus of Nazareth in its central part and holding in its claws a gospel with the inscription in Latin “In Principium erat verbum”.

Saint John the Evangelist Brotherhood Emblem

The current emblem of the brotherhood Saint John the Evangelist was designed in 1952 by Julio Más and drawn by Vicente Mustieles. It is formed by the eagle of Pátmos, with the shield of the Marraja Brotherhood inside indicating that the Saint Joint belongs to that brotherhood, holding in its claws a gospel with the inscription …

“In Principio erat Verbum”

“In the Beginning was the Word”, as the fourth gospel begins.

Already the first Christians, related the eagle with prayer, for flying higher than any other bird and its mythical ability to be able to stare at the star king, the sun, and since the Middle Ages the eagle has been related, for these reasons, to Saint John and his gospel.

At the end of the 15th century, the Catholic Monarchs included in the coat of arms of the State that they had just formed the Saint John eagle, due to its deep dedication to Saint John, getting to marry on the day of his name and ordering a chapel, called the Royal Chapel, to be built, in the Cathedral of Santa María de la O in Granada under the vocation of Saints John the Baptist and Evangelist, where they currently lie. Then for centuries it continued to be part of the royal shield of the Spanish state.

The emblem is embroidered on the banners of the group, on the sash of the penitents of the members of the procession in the morning of Good Friday, as well as on the left side of the white satin capes of the penitents of the third that parade in the procession of the Entombment. The holders for Friday Morning carry the emblem on the left side of the tunic and those for Friday Night embroidered on the white satin sashes.

In 1980 a new shroud was embroidered for the third of the Holy Love of Saint John, whose emblem would be the emblem of the group on a “Maltese Cross” from whose arms hang the letters alpha and omega, representing the beginning and the end.

This 8-pointed cross, for the 8 beatitudes, was used by the San Juanist knights of the “Order of San Juan”, initially with hospital and later military functions, effectively fighting in the Holy Land and for what Emperor Carlos I of Spain He ceded the island of Malta to them in 1530, from that moment on to be called knights of the Order of Malta.

The emblem is embroidered on the banner of the group, as well as on the left side of the white satin capes of the penitents of the brotherhood that parade in the procession on Holy Saturday.

Detalle del emblema de la agrupación bordado sobre los cingulos de raso empleados por el tercio de San Juan en la procesión del Santo Encuentro, en la madrugada de Viernes Santo. The photograph shows a detail of the emblem of the brotherhood embroided in the sash that is used by the penitents of the brotherhood of Saint John in the procession that takes place on Good Friday morning

Detalle del emblema de la agrupación bordado sobre las capas de raso empleadas por el tercio de San Juan en la procesión del Santo Entierro. El águila representa al Evangelio de San Juan. Vuela más alto que ninguno. En su Evangelio se nos desvela la Pasión, Muerte y Resurrección de Cristo.

The emblem of the brotherhood is also embroided in the capes that are used in the procession that takes place on Good Friday night. The eagle represents Saint John.

This emblem is embroided in the capes of the penitents that go with the Holy Love of Saint John group. It is composed by the Maltese cross with the symbols of the first and last letters of the Greek alphabet (Beggining and End). Over the cross, the emblem of the brotherhood is shown.