The Archdiocesan seal symbolically honors Michigan's spiritual father, St. Isaac Jogues, the State of Michigan, the Most Blessed Trinity and the City of Detroit. It is divided into four gold sections by a black cross embellished with three gold stars.

A pair of black antlers appears in the section at the upper left and a black martlet in the other three.  The black and gold colors are from the shield of St. Isaac Jogues as are the antlers (which also appear in the Seal of Michigan) and the three gold stars, which honor the Blessed Trinity.  The martlets are mythical birds which appear on the shield of Antoine de la Mothe Cadillac, whom historians honor as the founder of Detroit.