On October 28 the Most Rev. Ralph Bernard O’Donnell (56), a priest of the Archdiocese of Omaha since 1997, will be ordained a bishop and installed as the 5th Bishop of Jefferson City, Missouri.
The arms that he has assumed which are impaled to the recently redesigned arms of the See of Jefferson City were designed and emblazoned by Dom Pachomius Meade, OSB of Conception Abbey. He also worked on the redesign of the diocesan coat of arms.
Today it was announced that the Most Rev. James Checchio (59), the 5th Bishop of Metuchen, New Jersey has been appointed by Pope Leo XIV to become the Coadjutor Archbishop of New Orleans, Louisiana. He expects to take up his new responsibilities in late November. His current coat of arms will need slight modification to add another row of tassels to the galero and a second horizontal bar to the cross. However, it is customary for a Coadjutor Archbishop or Bishop to use his personal arms alone on the shield until such time as he succeeds to the See and then he may marshal his personal arms with those of the See on the same shield.
Bishop Checchio has served as Bishop of Metuchen since 2016. He will assist the Most Rev. Gregory Aymond (75) in the duties of shepherding the Archdiocese of New Orleans until the conclusion of their current bankruptcy proceedings which are expected to last until the end of this year. As Coadjutor Archbishop, Checchio will then automatically have the right immediately to succeed to the See.
It just so happens that it was my great privilege and pleasure to prepare the armorial bearings for Archbishop Aymond when he became Archbishop of New Orleans in 2009.
After seeing my recent post about the coat of arms of the Archbishop of Southwark another readers reader of this blog pointed out to me the coat of arms of another prelate from the UK. Archbishop Paul Gallagher (71) is the Secretary for Relations with States & International Organisations, in the Secretariat of State of the Holy See.
Ordained for Liverpool in 1977 he entered the diplomatic corps of the Holy See in 1984. Gallagher previously served as Nuncio to Burundi, to Guatemala and to Australia. He had also served as an official in Tanzania, Uruguay and the Philippines and became an archbishop in 2004.
After recently posting the armorial achievement of the Archbishop of Southwark another reader of this blog was kind enough to send me the armorial bearings of the Most Rev. John Sherrington (67), the current Metropolitan Archbishop of Liverpool. Archbishop Sherrington, installed last May was previously an Auxiliary Bishop of Westminster and, prior to that, was a priest of the Diocese of Nottingham.
(artwork: Quentin Peacock)
One of my regular readers recently sent me this rendering of the armorial bearings of the Most Rev. John Wilson (57), the current Metropolitan Archbishop of Southwark. The archdiocese takes in everything in London south of the River Thames and the County of Kent. (London north of the Thames is the Archdiocese of Westminster, making London one of the only cities to contain not only more than one diocese but actually to contain two ARCHdioceses).
It is interesting to note the quartering with the pall (pallium). This mirrors the original use of the pall. In the days before diocesan coats of arms the pall was employed by any Metropolitan Archbishop as a heraldic charge indicating his status as a Metropolitan.
I recently was commissioned to design a coat of arms for the Parish of St. Matthew in Flint, Michigan.
BLAZON:Quarterly, the horizontal line wavy, Azure and Argent overall a cross moline quartered and Counterchanged; in the first and fourth quarter a mullet of six points Or; in the second and third quarter a money bag Gules bound Or.
EXPLANATION: The armorial bearings of the Parish of Saint Matthew, Flint, Michigan in the Diocese of Lansing reflect its location and it titular patron saint. The cross is not only the symbol of our faith and of the center of activity in any parish but in this form is borrowed from the diocesan coat of arms to indicate the parish is located in that diocese. The horizontal division line has been made wavy as a reference to the Flint River, and so as a reference to the city in which the parish is located. The money bags are a symbol of the parish’s patron, St. Matthew who was a tax collector before he became a disciple. The six-pointed star is from the arms of St. Pius X who was pope at the time the parish was erected. In addition, part of the former parish of St. Pius X has been incorporated into the parish of St. Matthew, so it alludes to that as well.
The blue and white motif from the diocesan coat of arms predominates throughout. The money bags are red to recall St. Matthew’s martyrdom. By means of these symbols the coat of arms of the parish alludes to both its patron and the local church in which it is located.
On September 8 the Rev. P. Bismarck Chau (58) will be ordained a Bishop in the Church and become the Titular Bishop of Catrum and Auxiliary Bishop to HE, Joseph Cardinal Tobin, Archbishop of the Metropolitan See of Newark, NJ.
BLAZON: Argent on a triple mound issuant in base Sable a Latin cross Azure charged with a fleur-de-lis Argent; on a chief wavy Azure flanked by oak leaves Argent a human hand couped with the first two fingers raised in an attitude of benediction Or. Shield ensigned with an episcopal cross Or behind the shield and a bishop’s galero Vert cords and twelve tassels disposed in three rows of one, two and three all Vert. On a scroll below the shield the motto: “Dios Es Mi Fuerza”. (God is my strength)
EXPLANATION: The armorial bearings of Bishop Bismarck Chau reflect his family name, his Baptismal patron, the country of his birth and his ministry. The shield is composed primarily of the colors blue and white. These are the colors of the flag of Nicaragua where the bishop and his family originate. In the lower portion of the shield on a silver (white) background we see rising from the bottom of the shield a mound of three black hillocks. The three stylized hills represent that Nicaragua is known as a land of volcanoes. The hills create a kind of stylized mountain and the black color represents the black volcanic ash.
In addition, this stylized mound of rocks is also a nod to St. Peter whom Jesus called “the rock” on which He would build His church. Pedro (Peter) is the Bishop’s baptismal name. The black color of the rocks also has another meaning. The Chau–or Zhou–dynasty in China from which the family name is derived, was known for establishing an
extensive system of bronze metal-working. The black color emulates the dark color of bronze and so pays tribute to the Bishop’s family name.
Rising from the mound is the blue cross of faith charged with a silver (white) fleur-de-lis. The Bishop sees this as symbolizing the fact that he is who he is because of Christ; because he died on the Cross to give us life and made us all into a new creation. The cross not only symbolizes salvation and freedom, but also strength. God gave Jesus strength to carry his cross to the end. The fleur-de-lis has long been used in heraldry as a symbol of Our Lady. Mary was also a source of strength for Jesus, at calvary especially, at the foot of the Cross. It is worth noting that of all the symbols of Our Lady that could have been chosen the fleur-de-lis was used because it is a heraldic charge that also appears in the coat of arms of Pope Leo XIV who appointed Bishop Chau to the episcopacy as well as the coat of arms of Cardinal Tobin, whom the Bishop will serve and support by his own episcopal ministry. Thus, it honors those two figures important in the life of Bishop Chau.
The upper third of the shield, called a “chief” is separated from the rest by a wavy line representing water. The water alludes to Nicaragua being also known as a land of lakes, and is also symbolic of the waters of Baptism through which we all pass to become part of the Body of Christ. On this chief we see a gold (yellow) colored hand in blessing. This is symbolic of the divine blessing on all the Bishop’s endeavors. Gold is a color often used in heraldry to evoke divinity. In addition, this divine hand in blessing is also an allusion to the Bishop’s work with the Deaf Community. American Sign Language uses the hands arranged in different gestures to communicate. The hand is flanked by two silver (white or gray-ish) oak leaves. These are borrowed directly from the coat of arms of Bismarck as a representation of the Bishop’s given middle name which he most often uses and by which he is most commonly known and called.
The motto below the shield is taken from Isaiah 49:5 saying (in Spanish), “Dios Es Mi Fuerza”, which, in English, translates to: “God is My Strength”.
It was my great pleasure and honor to design the Bishop’s armorial bearings and to prepare the artwork as well.
September 3 will see the Installation of the tenth Bishop and third Metropolitan Archbishop of Mobile, Alabama. The Most Rev. Mark Steven Rivituso (63), a priest and, since 2017, an Auxiliary Bishop of St. Louis, MO will be installed at the Cathedral-Basilica of the Immaculate Conception.
I had marshaled and emblazoned the coat of arms of his immediate predecessor, Archbishop Thomas Rodi, and so the archdiocese contacted me about doing the same thing for the new archbishop.
BLAZON: Arms impaled. In the dexter: Azure issuant from a crescent in base Argent a rosebush with three blossoms all Or. In the sinister: Azure, a cross fleuretty Or, charged near its base with a crescent Argent and in base twelve mullets of five points, six to dexter and six to sinister Argent. The shield is ensigned with an archiepiscopal cross Or and an archbishop’s galero with cords and twenty tassels flanking the shield disposed in four rows of one, two, three and four all Vert. On a scroll below the shield is the motto, “The Love of Christ Impels Us”.
EXPLANATION: The armorial bearings of Archbishop Rivituso impale the coat of arms of his archiepiscopal See with his personal coat of arms. The coat of arms is composed of a shield with its charges (symbols), a motto and the external ornamentation. The shield is described (blazoned) in terms that are archaic to our modern language, and this description is presented as if viewed by the bearer with the shield being worn on the arm. Thus, where it applies, the terms dexter (right) and sinister (left) are reversed as the device is viewed from the front.
It is customary in heraldry that the arms of a Diocesan Bishop, or Ordinary, are joined side by side on the same shield with the arms of his See. In this case, these are the arms of the Archdiocese of Mobile. Such marshaling is called impalement and employs the same method used when joining the coats of arms of two people who are married. In this way, the coat of arms, like the episcopal ring, is symbolic of the archbishop being “married” to his archdiocese.
The arms of the Archdiocese of Mobile depict a blue background on which is a silver (white) crescent moon toward the bottom. This is a symbol of Our Lady’s Immaculate Conception which is the titular of the cathedral-basilica. From this crescent springs a rosebush that has three roses . The blossoms, leaves and stem are all gold (yellow).
The personal coat of arms of Archbishop Rivituso symbolize his origins, his personal devotion and the place in which he has spent his ministry as a priest and auxiliary bishop.The shield is blue with a gold (yellow) cross with the ends of the arms terminating in fleurs-de-lis borrowed from the coat of arms of the Archdiocese of St. Louis where the Archbishop served as both a priest and Auxiliary Bishop.
At the bottom of the cross is a silver (white) crescent moon with a scattering of twelve silver (white) stars on either side. This alludes to Our Lady under her title of the Immaculate Conception, patroness of the United States. In the Book of Revelation she is described as having the moon under her feet and a crown of twelve stars on her head.
In addition, the crescent is placed near the bottom of the cross to signify Mary at the foot of the cross where Jesus asked St. John to care for her. In giving His mother to His Beloved Disciple, Christ also gave her to all of us as the Mother of the Church. In addition, the crescent and twelve stars symbolize the twelve apostles along with Mary, the Queen of the Apostles.
On a scroll below the shield is the Archbishop’s motto, “The Love of Christ Impels Us” taken from St. Paul’s Second Letter to the Corinthians (Chapter 5; verse 14). It means that as Christians and believers in Jesus as the Christ in all that we do and are the love of Christ impels us.
It was my great pleasure and privilege to prepare the Archbishop’s new coat of arms.
On July 17, 2025 the Most Rev. Michael Pham (58), a priest of the Diocese of San Diego who, since 2023 has also served as Auxiliary Bishop there, will be installed as the VII Bishop of San Diego.
The arms that he assumed when he became a bishop in 2023 remain unchanged, as is most correct. They have, however, simply been marshaled with the existing, and very nice, coat of arms of the diocese.
BLAZON: Arms impaled. In the dexter: Or, a cross throughout Gules between in the dexter chief quarter a Spanish stew pot and in the other three quarters a nail all Sable (San Diego) In the sinister: Per fess wavy Argent and Azure; in base fretty Argent; in chief a fishing boat Gules with a sail unfurled Argent charged with a beehive Gules flanked by two palm branches to dexter and sinister Vert; in chief eight tongues of fire all Gules. Shield ensigned with an episcopal cross Or behind the shield and a bishop’s galero Vert cords and twelve tassels disposed in three rows of one, two and three all Vert. On a scroll below the shield the motto: “United in Christ”.
EXPLANATION: The Bishop’s coat of arms, is composed of a shield upon which there are symbolic charges, a motto and the external ornaments of rank. The shield which is the most important feature of any heraldic device is blazoned (i.e. described) in heraldic language from the point of view of the bearer with the shield being held on his arm. Thus, where it applies, the term “dexter” (right) and “sinister” (left) are reversed as the device is viewed from the front.
By heraldic custom observed in North America, the arms of a diocesan bishop are “impaled” side by side on the same shield to the arms of his jurisdiction, in this case, the Diocese of San Diego. This signifies that the diocesan bishop is “married” to the See. The same method of impalement is employed in the coat of arms of two married people who are armigerous.
The coat of arms of the See of San Diego is composed of a gold (yellow) field and symbols of San Diego (St. Didacus in Latin), the diocesan patron saint. Diego was born to poor Spanish parents shortly before the year 1400. His love of poverty never left him. As a Franciscan brother he was a selfless servant of the poor and was known to heal the sick with the Sign of the Cross, the central charge of the diocesan coat of arms. The Spanish stew pot in the upper left quadrant indicates Diego’s boundless charity and tireless efforts to feed the hungry. San Diego had a special devotion to the Lord in his Passion, symbolized by the three nails in the other three quadrants. Diego died on Nov. 12, 1463, at the Franciscan monastery in Alcalá, Spain, pressing a crucifix to his heart and repeating the words of the Good Friday chant: “Dulce lignum, dulce ferrum, dulce pondus sustinet” (Precious the wood, precious the nails, precious the weight they bear.)
The personal coat of arms assumed by Bishop Pham when he was made Auxiliary Bishop in 2023 combines symbols that are meaningful to him. The shield is divided horizontally to depict a silver (white) sky above a blue wavy ocean. The ocean is criss-crossed by diagonal lines in order to create a pattern suggestive of a fisherman’s net. It represents that after 1975 while still living in Vietnam the bishop’s father became a fisherman to provide for his family. In addition, the net indicates not only the task of an apostle (or a successor to an apostle) of being a “fisher of men” but it also alludes to the New Evangelization where we are exhorted to put out into the deep (Duc in Altum). This symbolizes both the bishop’s priestly and episcopal ministry.
In the upper part of the shield the boat also alludes to the work of a fisherman. In addition, a boat, in heraldry, is often used as a symbol of the Church itself, often referred to as the barque of Peter, who was himself, a fisherman. On the sail of the boat in the center is a red beehive flanked by two green palm branches. The beehive is a symbol of St. John Chrysostom, the bishop’s baptismal patron saint who was renowned for his inspiring preaching. So, he was known as a “honey-tongued” preacher. The palm branches are an ancient symbol of martyrdom. The bishop’s family comes from the first diocese in the north of Vietnam where his ancestors were among the first martyrs for the faith in that part of the world.
On either side and above the boat are eight red tongues of fire. They are symbols of the Holy Spirit which descended on the Apostles as tongues of fire at Pentecost. This was the beginning of their ministry to go out into the world to preach the Gospel so it is another symbol of Evangelization. Several flames represent a diversity of communities. Bishop Pham strengthened the cultural communities found in the diocese and shared them with the larger Catholic community. He has served as Episcopal Vicar of the Office of Ethnic & Intercultural Communities. So, symbols of the Holy Spirit were seen to appropriately reflect this ministry. It also reflects how, on Pentecost, when the Holy Spirit descended, people from different places, languages and cultures heard the Apostles speaking in their own languages. The red of the boat, the beehive and the tongues of fire is a further allusion to the blood of the martyrs.
It was my great pleasure to design and emblazon the bishop’s arms in 2023 when he became a bishop. At this time it was also my pleasure to marshal them to the arms of the See and emblazon them once again.
In January of 2019 I posted about the very nice arms granted to a clergyman in the UK. Fr. Adam Gaunt had received beautiful Letters Patent for his fine coat of arms and was eager to share them with me.
I recently saw online that he posted about some modifications to the ornamentation of his arms reflecting the fact that he has recently been named a Canon of York in the Church of England. So the galero now has six red tassels pendant on either side.
(artwork by Danilo Martins)
The Most Rev. Shawn McKnight (56) was installed as the fifth Archbishop of Kansas City in Kansas on May 26. I already talked about the very nice version of his coat of arms prepared for that occasion by Matthew Alderman. Immediately after his installation, the archbishop contacted me and asked for another rendering of his arms done by me. While that is somewhat unusual it is not unprecedented. It’s not uncommon for an armiger to have and use different renditions of his coat of arms done by different artists.
So, I undertook to do an emblazonment of the archbishop’s coat of arms for his use.
BLAZON: Arms impaled. In the dexter: Argent, a chevron invected issuant from the dexter, overall a tower embattled Gules charged with a crescent Argent; on a chief Gules a Latin cross reversed Argent surmounted by two keys in saltire Or. In the sinister: Gules a quail statant Or. The shield is ensigned with an archiepiscopal cross Or and an archbishop’s galero with cords and twenty tassels flanking the shield disposed in four rows of one, two, three and four all Vert. On a scroll below the shield is the motto, “Gratias Agamus Domino”.
EXPLANATION: The armorial bearings of Archbishop McKnight impale the coat of arms of his archiepiscopal See with his personal coat of arms. The coat of arms is composed of a shield with its charges (symbols), a motto and the external ornamentation. The shield is described (blazoned) in terms that are archaic to our modern language, and this description is presented as if given by the bearer with the shield being worn on the arm. Thus, where it applies, the terms dexter (right) and sinister (left) are reversed as the device is viewed from the front.
It is customary in heraldry that the arms of a Diocesan Bishop, or Ordinary, are joined side by side on the same shield with the arms of his See. In this case, these are the arms of the Archdiocese of Kansas City. Such marshaling is called impalement and employs the samemethod used when joining the coats of arms of two people who are married. In this way, the coat of arms, like the episcopal ring, is symbolic of the archbishop being “married” to his archdiocese. The arms of the Archdiocese of Kansas City are composed of a silver (white) field on which there is a blue chevron issuing from the side. The sides of the chevron are “invected” which means a line that consists of a series of circular arcs curving in the same direction, meeting at angles, forming points inward. This is to symbolize the Missouri River. Laid over this chevron is a red tower with an open archway and an embattled top. Imposed on the tower is a silver (white) crescent. The tower is a symbol of Fort Leavenworth. The original designation of the Archdiocese was the Diocese of Leavenworth (1877) and the church of the Immaculate Conception was the titular of the cathedral there. The crescent moon in heraldry is a symbol of Our Lady’s Immaculate Conception. The upper third of the shield, called a “chief” contains two crossed gold (yellow) keys superimposed over a silver (white) Latin cross upside down. These are symbols of St. Peter, the titular patron of the cathedral church. The keys are the “keys of the kingdom” bequeathed by Christ to St. Peter and the upside down cross recalls the manner of his crucifixion.
The personal coat of arms of Archbishop McKnight illustrates his personal devotion. The field is red and the one and only charge is a large gold (yellow) quail. The red color alludes to the devotion of Archbishop McKnight to the Sacred Heart of Jesus as well as the Immaculate Heart of the Blessed Virgin Mary. Quail are a symbol of God’s providential blessing and an Old Testament prefiguration of the Eucharist, as the Lord provided for his people in the desert with manna in the morning and quail in the evening (see Exodus 16:11-13; Numbers 11:31-32; Psalm 78:27 and Psalm 105:40). Quail-hunting is also a favorite sport of the Archbishop, an activity which requires the use of pointing, flushing and retrieving hunting dogs, and through which he experiences the beauty, harmony and providence of God in nature.
The external ornaments include a gold archiepiscopal cross with two horizontal bars (sometimes referred to as a patriarchal cross) placed vertically behind the shield decorated with red jewels. This is often mistaken for a processional cross like the one used in liturgical processions. However, like other heraldic ornaments the archiepiscopal cross has its origins in something which is no longer actually used. At one time all bishops had, in addition to the processional cross at the head of the procession, another cross carried directly in front of them by a cleric. This other cross was a sign of the office of bishop. It originated as a custom that such a cross was carried before archbishops only. Later, the cross was adopted for use by all bishops so archbishop’s added a second horizontal bar to their crosses to distinguish them from the episcopal cross of simple bishops. While no longer actually used it has remained a symbol of the archiepiscopal office in heraldry. Similarly, the broad-brimmed green galero was, at one time, worn by bishops in outdoor processions and cavalcades. No longer used it remains a heraldic symbol of the office of bishop and takes the place of the helmet, mantling and crest that would appear in the coat of arms of a layman. In Catholic heraldry the color and number of tassels on the galero indicates the rank of
the bearer. The double barred archiepiscopal cross and the green galero with twenty tassels signifies the coat of arms of an archbishop according to the Instruction of the Holy See, “Ut Sive” issued in 1969.
The motto chosen by Archbishop McKnight appears on a scroll below the shield, “Gratias Agamus Domino”. This is taken directly from the opening dialogue of the preface at the beginning of the Eucharistic Prayer at Mass (“Let us give thanks to the Lord”), and is derived from Psalm 107:1 and Psalm 118:1 (“Give thanks to the Lord Who is good, Whose love endures forever”).
I was recently contacted by Maurizio Gorra, AIH who is preparing to publish a heraldic work that may be of some interest to you. So, I herein share the information about this publication with you for your consideration.
Happy International Heraldry Day!
International Heraldry Day was established in 2013 by the International Association of Amateur Heralds (IAAH). The date, June 10, was chosen to commemorate a significant event in heraldic history: on this day in 1128, Geoffrey Plantagenet, Count of Anjou, was knighted by King Henry I of England. During the ceremony, Geoffrey received a blue shield adorned with six golden lions, which is considered one of the earliest known examples of a fully formed coat of arms.
So, celebrate heraldry today!
On June 8, 2025–Pentecost Sunday—the Most Reverend Lawrence Brandt (86), a priest of Erie who served from 2004-2015 as the fourth Bishop of Greensburg, Pennsylvania passed away.
May he rest in peace.
Today, His Holiness, Pope Leo XIV appointed the Most Rev. Mark Anthony Eckman (66), a priest of Pittsburgh and since 2021 the Auxiliary Bishop of Pittsburgh, as the 13th Bishop of the Diocese of Pittsburgh.
His armorial bearings, which not only allude to St. Mark but also, by use of the checkerboard taken from the arms of the See of Pittsburgh (and which, in turn, are borrowed from the arms of William Pitt, where they allude to his tenure as Chancellor of the Exchequer) now line up with the same checkerboard when his arms are impaled with those of the See.
It looks a bit odd, however, that the fess in his personal arms is more narrow than that in the arms of the See. It would probably work better artistically, if the two were of the same width. That would give the appearance of a single fess that crosses the two impaled arms but that’s simply the way it will appear. That’s one of the pitfalls of choosing charges and ordinaries directly from another coat of arms. Of course, it must be said that at the time Bishop Eckman assumed his own arms he could have no idea that one day he’d be named Bishop of Pittsburgh and impale his arms with those of the diocese. His personal arms, in my opinion, harmonizes nicely with the diocesan coat of arms making for a pleasing achievement.
NOTE: I have now been reliably informed that the bishop has, in fact, decided to slightly modify the fess in his personal arms so that it is identical to the one in the diocesan arms. So, problem solved!
For reasons unknown, perhaps because of all the internet chatter (?) the Holy See has now corrected the armorial bearings of Pope Leo XIV to display a field of Azure & White as well as a fleur-de-lis of a more gray or metallic silver while both are blazoned Argent.
The Most Reverend Shawn McKnight (56), a priest of Wichita and who from 2018-2025 served as Bishop of Jefferson City, Missouri, was installed today as the 12th Bishop and 5th Metropolitan Archbishop of Kansas City in Kansas.
His very simple and striking coat of arms arms was marshaled to those of Kansas City and very ably rendered by Matthew Alderman.
The Mission Church of San Diego (St. Didacus) de Alcalá was the second Spanish Mission church founded in 1769 by St. Junípero Serra. The present (5th) church building was designated a Minor Basilica by St. Paul VI in 1976. Going without any armorial bearings of its own for several decades I was approached some time ago by one of the priests of the Mission basilica to design a coat of arms for the church. This was done with the approval of the (then) Bishop of San Diego, Robert Cardinal McElroy, now the Metropolitan Archbishop of Washington, DC.
The blazon of the coat of arms is: Gules, a cross formy throughout Or charged with five gouttes de sang at the center point and extremities; between in the dexter chief quarter a Spanish stew pot Argent; in the sinister base quarter a fleur-de-lis Argent and in the other quarters an acorn slipped Or. The shield is ensigned with the ornaments of a Minor Basilica which are, two keys crossed in saltire behind the shield to dexter Argent and to sinister Or, and an ombrellino Proper standing behind the shield.
The basic design borrows, and reverses the colors from the coat of arms of the Diocese of San Diego. Instead of a gold (yellow) field with a red cross there is now a red field with a gold cross. The cross, which has slightly flared ends, is charged with five drops of blood. These represent the founder of the Mission, Junípero Serra, who was a Franciscan friar. So, the five drops recall the five wounds of the stigmata received by St. Francis of Assisi. Serra, the founder of the Mission, is symbolized by making a reference to the Order to which he (and San Diego) belonged. That also honors all the other Franciscan missionaries who carried on the work at the Mission throughout the centuries. In addition, the present Mission church–the one designated a basilica–is the fifth church building used by the Mission. So, the five drops of blood also allude to the basilica itself being the fifth building in use as a church.
In the upper left corner is the pot that is a symbol of San Diego (St. Didacus), the patron of the Mission Basilica (as well as the diocese). As a Franciscan brother he was a selfless servant of the poor and was known to heal the sick with the Sign of the Cross, the central charge, and the Spanish stew pot in the upper left also symbolizes him. It indicates Diego’s boundless charity and tireless efforts to feed the hungry. In the lower right corner we see a fleur-de-lis which is borrowed from the coat of arms of St. Paul VI, the pope who raised the Mission church to the rank of Minor Basilica in 1976. Both of these are silver (off-white).
The other two quadrants are charged with a gold (yellow) acorn. This is to give the Native Americans, who received the Gospel from the Franciscans and became their collaborators throughout the Mission era, representation on the coat-of-arms. It is a symbol of the agrarian traditions of the Native Americans, and also represents the potential for spiritual growth and transformation. Just as an acorn can grow into a mighty oak tree, it represents the idea that even small acts of faith and virtue can lead to great spiritual maturity and strength. This aligns with the Catholic teaching on the importance of nurturing one’s faith and virtues over time and refers to the Mission’s humble beginnings and growth. In addition, the acorn’s humble beginnings remind Catholics of the virtues of humility and simplicity. These qualities are highly valued in Catholic teachings, as exemplified by the lives of saints, such as St. Francis, St. Didacus, St. Junipero Serra, and the Franciscan Padres who often started with humble beginnings and grew in holiness and influence through their faith and actions. The acorn also symbolizes God’s provision and sustenance as a reminder of His care and providence, ensuring that His creation is provided for.
The external ornaments are the two crossed keys (one gold and one silver) bound together by a red cord and the ombrellino. The keys are an ornament granted to basilica churches to show their connection to the Holy See. They are the same as the keys seen in the coat of arms of the Holy See and of the Pope, recalling the “keys to the kingdom” given by Christ to St. Peter; one to bind and one to loosen. The ombrellino, a large red and gold canopy, is also a symbol of the Holy See and used as a symbol of such whenever the See is vacant. It also used to be employed as a symbol of papal administration in the time of the Papal States. Originally, it was a ceremonial canopy carried in procession to cover a dignitary such as the pope while walking or riding in a cavalcade. It is primarily symbolic now but all basilica churches are expected to have one which is to be carried in procession in the event of a papal visit.
This was a fun and interesting project which I completed, coincidentally, on the same day that the Pope appointed a new Bishop of San Diego to succeed Cardinal McElroy.
Fr. Guy Selvester's blog of Ecclesiastical Heraldry
Fr. Guy Selvester's blog of Ecclesiastical Heraldry
Fr. Guy Selvester's blog of Ecclesiastical Heraldry
Fr. Guy Selvester's blog of Ecclesiastical Heraldry
Fr. Guy Selvester's blog of Ecclesiastical Heraldry
Fr. Guy Selvester's blog of Ecclesiastical Heraldry
Fr. Guy Selvester's blog of Ecclesiastical Heraldry
Fr. Guy Selvester's blog of Ecclesiastical Heraldry
Fr. Guy Selvester's blog of Ecclesiastical Heraldry
Fr. Guy Selvester's blog of Ecclesiastical Heraldry
Fr. Guy Selvester's blog of Ecclesiastical Heraldry
Fr. Guy Selvester's blog of Ecclesiastical Heraldry
EXARANDORUM 