Per crucem vincemus
“Through the cross we shall conquer.”
Motto of St John Fisher Catholic High School, Dewsbury
What does “Per crucem vincemus” mean?
Per crucem vincemus translates as “Through the cross we shall conquer.”
Faith in Christ gives the strength to overcome.
“Per crucem vincemus” word by word
| Latin | English | Grammar |
|---|---|---|
| Per | through, by means of | preposition that takes the accusative case |
| crucem | the cross | accusative singular of crux, crucis (feminine), “cross”; the object of per |
| vincemus | we shall conquer | first person plural, future indicative active of vinco, vincere, “I conquer, I overcome” |
How to pronounce “Per crucem vincemus”
The two differ in the c of crucem (hard k or ch before e), in the c of vincemus (k or ch), and in v (w or v). The stress falls on the first syllable of crucem and on the second-to-last syllable of vincemus, because that syllable is long.
The story behind it
Word for word the motto says “through the cross we shall conquer”. The cross stands for the Christian faith, and the future tense gives the line a note of confidence: victory is expected, not merely hoped for.
The wording recalls the Latin tradition of the cross as a sign of victory, and the motto is used here by St John Fisher Catholic High School in Dewsbury, England. The school is named after St John Fisher, the sixteenth-century English bishop who was executed under Henry VIII.
As a school motto it is a short statement of Christian values for students to carry with them. Outside the school the phrase is simple enough to be used on its own as a personal motto.
How to use “Per crucem vincemus”
It suits a school or parish motto, a confirmation or graduation card, a faith-themed tattoo or a wall print. It fits best where the cross is meant in its Christian sense.
- Latin
- Per crucem vincemus
- English
- Through the cross we shall conquer.
- Source
- Motto of St John Fisher Catholic High School, Dewsbury
- Era
- Modern
- Theme
- Faith
Common mistakes
- The verb is future (“we shall conquer”), not present. The present would be vincimus, “we conquer”, which differs by one letter.
- Per takes the accusative, so crucem is correct. Writing per cruce would be wrong.
- The “we” here is plural. A single person speaking would need vincam, “I shall conquer”.
- This exact wording is a modern school motto. Do not credit it to an ancient author or a Church Father.
Questions about “Per crucem vincemus”
What does “Per crucem vincemus” mean literally?
“Through the cross we shall conquer.” Per means “through”, crucem is “the cross” and vincemus is “we shall conquer”.
Who said “Per crucem vincemus”?
It is used as the motto of St John Fisher Catholic High School in Dewsbury, England. There is no famous ancient author behind this exact wording.
How do you pronounce “Per crucem vincemus”?
In Classical Latin: per KROO-kem wing-KEH-moos. In Church Latin: per KROO-chem veen-CHEH-moos.
Is “Per crucem vincemus” correct Latin for a tattoo?
Yes. It is grammatically sound: a preposition, an accusative noun and a future-tense verb. If it is only for you, use vincam, “I shall conquer”.
More to explore
Translation and grammar checked by Latin Quoter · last reviewed November 2026
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