What is the symbolism of the IVE’s crest?

The letters on the shield mean “verbum caro factum est,” which is Latin for “The word became flesh” (John 1:14), and is the IVE’s motto. The red cross in the background symbolizes Christ’s shedding of his blood for our redemption and the silver (white) represents purity, while the crown symbolizes the kingship of Christ. The three flames on the cross represent the three evangelical councils (poverty, chastity and obedience) through which we unite ourselves to Christ, and the fleur-de-lis (lily flower) represents the fourth vow of consecration to Mary which we take. The sword represents the word of God, “sharper than any two edged sword,” (Heb 4:12) and the rosary encircling the entire device symbolizes both our religious family’s devotion to Our Blessed Mother and our earnest desire for her maternal protection.