Around New England

Holy Cross Ditching Crusader Logo and Mascot

March 15, 2018

The College of the Holy Cross in Worcester is ditching the crusader knight as its logo and mascot.

Holy Cross will keep the Crusader as its nickname, as the school announced February 3 after a trustees meeting called to decide whether to get rid of it because it calls to mind Christian wars against Muslims during the Middle Ages.

But while the name is staying, the knight will be replaced in the logo by an interlocking HC.

The college’s president, Father Philip Boroughs, sent an email message to students and faculty Wednesday announcing the changes, according to Worcester Magazine.

“Upon reflection on this contemporary definition, it is clear that our current visual representations of the Crusader do not align with this understanding,” Boroughs said in the email message, according to Worcester Magazine. “For some, knight imagery alone could convey nobility, chivalry and bravery. However, the visual depiction of a knight, in conjunction with the moniker Crusader, inevitably ties us directly to the reality of the religious wars and the violence of the Crusades. This imagery stands in contrast to our stated values.”