Tau
The Tau cross has a long and glorious Biblical, Ecclesial and Franciscan tradition. It is a letter in both the Hebrew and Greek alphabet. Dating back biblically to the Prophet Ezekiel (9:4), and in the Book of Revelations (7:3), it is mentioned that the elect servants of God were marked with this seal on their foreheads. The Tau was used in liturgical books as a symbol of the Crucifixion, especially after the opening discourse of Pope Innocent II for the Fourth Lateran Council in 1215. St. Francis of Assisi was present at that council. St. Francis as a result had a great devotion to the ‘TAU’ and used it as his signature on his correspondence. From that time on, it appeared in many early Franciscan writings and coat of arms as a special identity of the Capuchin Franciscans. (Solanus Casey Center, Detroit, Michigan, 2026. Also see St. Anthony’s cross. (Kremer, 2022) (Tressider, 2000) Photo from Detroit, Michigan, 2026.