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A modern dictionary of Catholic terms, both common and obscure. Find accurate definitions of words and phrases.

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CROSS ON STAFF

Symbol of St. Philip the Apostle because he was a traveling missionary who used the cross effectively in his contest with paganism and eventually died on it. St. Bridget of Sweden (1303-73) likewise has a cross-mounted staff as her emblem. The Latin style pommée cross with knoblike rounded ends is often used as a ceremonial cross.

All items in this dictionary are from Fr. John Hardon's Modern Catholic Dictionary, © Eternal Life. Used with permission.

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