^{This page is part of © FOTW Flags Of The World website}

Missions and other Christian organizations

Mission to Seafarers (United Kingdom)
- Missions to Seamen (former organisation)
Gemeinschaft Katholischer Soldaten (Germany)
Italian Byzantine Rite Catholic Mission of Our Lady of Grace (U.S.)
Bethel Flag

See also:

Christian flags

Mission to Seafarers (United Kingdom)
(f.k.a. Missions to Seamen)

image by André Coutanche, modified by Ivan Sache

The organisation now called 'Mission to Seafarers' was formerly known as the 'Missions to Seamen'. The 'flying angel' symbol is inherited from the Missions to Seamen flag (see below). The Missions to Seamen changed its name to "The Mission to Seafarers" at a service of blessing and rededication in Westminster Abbey on 4th April 2001 in the presence of The Princess Royal, president of the society.

In July 2000 the society's members voted to change the name after representations from chaplains and liaison bishops around the world, said Canon Glyn Jones, the secretary general. The new name reflects the fact that there is only one mission – God's mission – and that the society serves seafarers of all nationalities and faiths, both men and women.

At the same time, the society's flying angel symbol has been modernised, the fifth change to the angel in the society's history. Canon Jones said the angel will still be instantly recognised by seafarers as representing a welcome, friendship, help and people they could trust.

André Coutanche, 21 October 2001

The new flag of the Mission to Seafarers [seen at the cathedral in Sydney, Australia] is similar to the old flag: ultramarine blue, with a stylized flying angel in white facing the fly at the centre, and with the words 'The Mission' and 'To Seafarers' in capital letters in white forming two arcs, one above the angel and one below.
Miles Li, 21 October 2001

Missions to Seamen (former organisation)

image by André Coutanche

I have based the flag on the illustration in "The Book of Flags" by Campbell & Evans (1950).
André Coutanche, 10 June 2001

See also: FLYING ANGEL FLAG in Dictionary of Vexillology

Gemeinschaft Katholischer Soldaten (Germany)

On the Flaggenkunde mailing list Winfried Schrödter sent in this picture. It's from the German army's intranet homepage of the "Gemeinschaft Katholischer Soldaten" (Community of Catholic Soldiers). On their homepage http://www.kath-soldaten.de/ they describe themselves as a free network of laic Christians in the Catholic Church of Germany, an association offering moral orientation and spiritual home for:

Catholics in the army,

Soldiers in the Catholic Church and

Catholic soldiers in state and society; and it wants to take influence on social developments.

The picture shows an interesting flag graphic, a flag consisting only of words. The flag staff consists of the idiomatic expression Das haben wir uns auf die Fahne geschrieben (lit. "We have written this on our flag"), i.e. these are our ideals, principals, goals etc. The mottos on the flag are, from top: Im Glauben verwurzelt – Rooted in faith; Für Recht und Freiheit – For justice and freedom; Sittlich gebunden – Morally bound; Politisch gebildet – Politically educated; Fachlich kompetent – professionally competent; Gewissenhaft im Gehorsam – Conscientious in obedience; Dem Frieden verpflichtet – Obligated to peace; Offen für Gleichgesinnte – Open for like-mindeds; Um Zusammenarbeit bemüht – Endeavored for co-operation; ökumenisch aufgeschlossen – Ecumenically open-minded.

On the right side of the flag there is a short declaration about the principles, which translates as: "Our guiding principles | Ideals are like stars. You can see them but you can't reach them. And yet: they guide you home."

On the right top corner there is the red logo, containing the white letters GKS. The logo is explained at http://www.kath-soldaten.de/Kreuz/kreuz.html [retrieved], translated: "The cross of the GKS | The cross of the GKS is the symbol of the Community of Catholic Soldiers. Four circles, as a symbol for the GKS circles at the basis, form a cross in a bigger circle, which symbolizes the Community. [Under this cross] rally the Catholic soldiers. | The GKS cross allows another interpretation: The cross of the military pastoral care is being merged with the Iron Cross of the army. By this means there’s made a synthesis as a symbol for 'Christian and soldier'".

The flag (LOB) which can be seen here [retrieved] (picture), shows the red logo on square white field, surrounded as a circle of the association's name.

Martin Karner, 9 February 2006

Italian Byzantine Rite Catholic Mission of Our Lady of Grace (New York, U.S.)

The society's banner can be seen at http://www.byzantines.net/OurLadyofGrace/two.JPG [retrieved].
Ned Smith, 29 January 2006

Bethel Flag

The current issue of "Mariners' Mirror" (February 2007) contains an article about religious organizations that ministered to British sailors in Mediterranean ports in the 19th and 20th centuries. It includes a brief discussion of the "Bethel flag" that fills in a few details in addition to what we have on the Dictionary of Vexillology:

"Although various ad hoc flag signals to publicize services on ships were in use, it was the designing and adoption of the Bethel flag at this time [ca. 1816?] which gave the movement, and subsequent societies, a visible symbol and title ... Soon the presentation of the flag to a Christian master or to a Bethel Society, and its hoisting in a new port of call, became the way in which the movement was identified."

The article contains an illustration of the flag, and also the following description:

"The word 'Bethel' (House of God) in white was blazoned across a blue ground, with a star above and a dove with olive branch below."

The illustration shows the flag with proportions of about 1:2, with the word "BETHEL" vertically centered in all-capital serif, about 1/3 the height of the flag. The star is in the upper hoist corner, above the "B",and while the dove with the branch is in the lower hoist corner, under the "BE." The "star" actually looks more like a sun; it is a torus with a dot in the center, and a large number of thin, straight rays radiating from it. The dove is in flight, fairly stylized and facing toward the fly.

The article also mentions and illustrates the flag of the Missions to Seaman, which was adopted in 1857 and is referred to as the "Flying Angel" flag. It is more or less square, with a fairly detailed image of an flying angel holding an open book facing toward the fly, with the words "The Missions" above and "To Seamen" below. The angel is in dark outline on a light background; the lettering is all-capital sans-serif dark outline. The illustration is black-and-white and the article does not mention the colors.

Peter Ansoff, 26 February 2007