We recovered two markers today that reminded me of some other markers I had seen at St. Ignatius Cemetery in St. Inigoes. These metal crosses have names and dates on the front and a curious inscription on the back. For years this inscription baffled me.
Duxul Lexer
It just didn't make sense. I contacted Fr. Rory Conley about what it meant. Fr. Conley did not have the quick answer, but consulted with Rev. Msgr. Joseph Ranieri of the Archdiocese of Washington and he has determined the following:
First off, "duxul" and "lexer" are not Latin words. However, with "X" as the center, you have four Latin words: "dux" meaning guide; "lex" meaning law; "lux" meaning light, and rex meaning king. An "X" of course is an ancient symbol for Christ. Thus, the inscription probably means "Christ is my guide, my law, my light, my king."
First off, "duxul" and "lexer" are not Latin words. However, with "X" as the center, you have four Latin words: "dux" meaning guide; "lex" meaning law; "lux" meaning light, and rex meaning king. An "X" of course is an ancient symbol for Christ. Thus, the inscription probably means "Christ is my guide, my law, my light, my king."
Brilliant! Those Catholics sure were crafty!
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1 comment:
Thanks for the research and for sharing. I love the cemetery at St. Ignatius and was also stumped by these markers.
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