(Greek: ankyra, hook)
A symbol of hope, because it is an aid to mariners in danger of shipwreck. It was a favorite emblem in the early Church and is found frequently in the catacombs and elsewhere, often with a dolphin intertwined as a symbol of Christ. In modern religious art it is an emblem of Saint Rose of Lima, steadfast in hope and courage in spite of great sufferings, Saint Philomena, on whose tomb in the catacombs it was found inscribed, and Pope Saint Clement, miraculously freed when cast into the sea with an anchor bound to him.
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