Our motto is taken from the second letter of St. Paul to the Corinthians - Caritas Christi Urget Nos (5:14). This has been variously translated as: The Charity/Love of Christ urges us on / impels us / is our driving force.

The adoption of this text as the motto of our congregation dates back to 24th September 1817. It was the occasion of the first public reception ceremony of the Sisters of Charity in the chapel at their convent in North William Street in Dublin, when two young women were received as novices into our congregation. The sermon, on this occasion was preached by Peter Kenney S.J. and he took for his text Caritas Christi urget nos, suggesting to those present that this love of Christ, of which St. Paul spoke, was the inspiration and driving force of these two women and of every Sister of Charity. He suggested that it was an expression of the meaning of their lives and their motivation in serving Christ in the persons of the poor, in others, in their neighbour and in all who need their help.

The first reference to our crest, above, is in a letter written by Mary Aikenhead to one of our sisters on 15th July 1851 when she said " I must send you some envelopes and paper stamped with our own beautiful seal...given by a most esteemed friend (a good judge) to the Congregation. All is strictly canonical as well as heraldic" The monogram M.A. symbolizes Our Lady, Mary of the Angels. The stars and crescent moon are a reference to the text in Revelations - "There was a woman whose dress was the sun and who had the moon under her feet and a crown of twelve stars on her head" (Rev.12:1)