Category Archives: Bishops

Another Great Example of What NOT To Do!

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It never ceases to amaze me how people use and abuse heraldry especially when they usually begin almost any discussion of the topic by saying, “Well, I really don’t know much about heraldry, BUT…”. In particular, it is those who are frequently charged with displaying, disseminating, or publishing a particular coat of arms who decide to make the biggest mistakes in the interest of “making it look better”.

Now, I should pause here and state, categorically, that once I have designed and prepared a coat of arms the armiger is absolutely free to do with it as he/she pleases. There is no rule about taking the coat of arms they commissioned me to prepare and displaying it exclusively in the manner in which I gave it to them. To be frank, there are far better heraldic artists out there than me. I have never claimed to be an accomplished artist. My stated area of expertise is in devising a good and sound heraldic design; one that is in accord with good heraldic practices and accepted heraldic customs and conventions. That’s actually harder than most people think it is. You can’t just slap a bunch of symbols randomly onto a shield and call it a coat of arms!

I first began preparing artwork merely in the form of sketches to illustrate my design ideas for clients. In fact, when I originally started designing coats of arms for others I used to collaborate with a local artist to do the finished product. It was he who encouraged me to start doing the artwork myself. To this day I frequently prepare the design of a coat of arms but it is a different person who prepares the final artwork. Indeed, I have long said that the idea of slavishly copying one original, so-called “official” version of a coat of arms is antithetical to the whole concept of heraldic art. There isn’t only one way to depict a coat of arms, least of all in the manner it was originally rendered when first put into use. In addition, there is a vast difference between the work of a heraldic designer (the herald) and the work of preparing the artwork (the heraldic artist). The very concept of one person doing it all, like the “singer/song writer” is, and should be, rare. Most of the world’s greatest experts in the science of heraldry can’t draw to save their lives and the world’s foremost heraldic artists are frequently not well-versed in the concepts of heraldic design.

So, it’s really not unusual for a client of mine to have their coat of arms rendered again by a different artist. This is especially true because, these days, everyone wants digital art and I am still “old school” and actually draw the coats of arms I prepare. But, printing has moved into a new era, and the usual medium of communicating now is the internet. Having a vector image of a coat of arms allows it to be used on different platforms, or even in varying kinds of media at different sizes without the loss of resolution. So, dinosaurs like me may soon be out of a job.

I’ve grown accustomed to the idea that a client may, upon further reflection decide that they like the artistic style of another artist better (although, they do have ample opportunity to see examples of my work before commissioning me so they can’t claim to be surprised at how my artwork turns out!). In addition, as already stated, sometimes it is the desire to have the coat of arms in a digital format that causes clients to seek out the assistance of another (digital) artist.

However, there is also the person who decides that they’ll just do a hatchet job and cobble together an achievement from various sources. This offender is the worst kind. Take, for example, a recent commission of mine for a bishop in the United States. After commissioning me and receiving the finished coat of arms he decided that there was a slight error in the spelling of one of the words in his motto and he wanted that corrected. Fair enough, however, he didn’t ask me to do the correction. Instead he must have relied on someone in the diocese to which he was going which was, no doubt, preparing all sorts of materials surrounding his upcoming installation. But the motto wasn’t the only thing that got changed.

At some point a decision was made—I don’t know by whom, but it doesn’t really matter— not to use the artwork I had prepared. Apparently someone decided they liked the artwork of the coat of arms of the previous bishop which had been done by a heraldist who is now deceased. So what they decided to do, in addition to correcting the spelling in the motto, was to use the artwork of the previous bishop’s coat of arms and “cut and paste” my artwork of the sinister impalement containing the new bishop’s coat of arms onto this new achievement!

Now, as I have said, if it was desired to use a different artist’s work that’s fine. If it was desired to prepare a digital version of the coat of arms that’s fine too. But to simply lift my artwork and impose it onto another artist’s work to create some kind of Frankenstein’s monster of a final achievement is an example of what NOT to do! It’s insulting to me and to the deceased artist who did the previous bishop’s coat of arms and to the whole concept of good heraldic practice. This is to say nothing of the ethical questions involved with using someone else’s intellectual property and/or possible violations of copyright issues. In other words; it’s absolutely the wrong and stupid thing to do!

On the left we can see the version of the coat of arms as designed and rendered by me. This is what the client received. On the right we can see what ended up being used by the client. It contains the galero, cross and dexter impalement of the arms of the See done by the deceased artist as well as my artwork of the sinister impalement of the personal arms and the motto scroll with the word “Liberabit” spelled with a “b” instead of a “v” as originally requested by the client.

First off, it’s incredibly obvious that the arms of the See and the personal arms were drawn by two different people! In addition (and I understand I am prejudiced here) the overall appearance looks like it has been combined from different sources. The scroll is hugely and disproportionately outsized in comparison to the shield. The artwork of the personal arms looks to have a bad resolution and has also been distorted to fit a shield shape for which it was not intended. Yeah…even something like the shape of the shield goes into the design decisions made by me so that the charges aren’t just “crammed in” to a space on the shield.

Now, obviously, I prefer that my artwork be contained in an achievement that has been entirely prepared by me. But I will repeat that once I have delivered a coat of arms to a client they are perfectly free to have it rendered by a different artist. However, I feel quite comfortable in saying that the solution in this instance would have been to have a different artist render the entire coat of arms in his/her own style. One of the unfortunate consequences of the coming of the internet, online communication, the manipulation of images, etc. is the commonly accepted idea that simply “copy and paste” is an acceptable practice.

Well…it ISN’T. It’s ethically questionable, it’s insulting to the person who created the original, it creates substandard results and it looks cheap and ridiculous. By all means if you don’t like one artist’s work then go out and hire a different artist to give you what you want. But, to have the temerity and the presumption to slice up the work of various artists and then combine them is a textbook example of what NOT to do!

Bishop Bonnici of Rochester, NY, USA

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The Solemnity of St. Joseph, patron saint of the Universal Church on March 19 will see the installation of the 10th Bishop of the Diocese of Rochester, New York. On that day the Most Rev. John Bonnici (61) a priest and, since 2022, Auxiliary Bishop of the Archdiocese of New York will become the successor to the great Bishop Joseph McQuaid, to Edward Mooney, later the Cardinal-Archbishop of Detroit and of the Venerable Archbishop Fulton J. Sheen, soon to be Beatified on the way to sainthood who served as Bishop of Rochester from 1966-1969.

The coat of arms assumed by Bishop Bonnici in 2022 has now been marshaled to the arms of the See of Rochester.

BLAZON:  Arms impaled; in the dexter: Or, on a saltire quadrate Gules a crescent Argent (Rochester). In the sinister; Tierced in pall reversed Gules, Azure and Or; in dexter chief a Maltese Cross Argent; in sinister chief a block letter “M” Or; in base the eagle of St. John displayed Sable, armed Or, nimbused Argent and standing on an open book Argent, bound Gules. Overall at the fess point a mullet of eight points Argent. (Bonnici). 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: “To Jesus Through Mary”.

EXPLANATION: The shield is described (blazoned) in terms that are archaic to 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 Diocese of Rochester. 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 bishop being “married” to his diocese.

On a gold (yellow) background we see a red saltire, a cross in the shape of an “X” the center of which also has a lozenge, or diamond shape superimposed on it. There is a silver (white) crescent placed in the center.  The diocesan shield was designed in the 1930’s by Mr. Pierre de Chaignon la Rose. The saltire was taken from the coat of arms of the Diocese of Rochester, England, of which Saint Andrew was the principal Patron. The X-shaped cross is known heraldically as a “Cross of St. Andrew” because according to tradition the saint was crucified on a cross of this shape. La Rose distinguished or “differenced” the new coat of arms from the original by replacing a scallop shell in the center with the crescent, a symbol of the Blessed Virgin Mary, patroness of the United States of America, under her title of the Immaculate Conception.

The color red alludes to the Martyrdom of Saint Andrew, the first-called of the Apostles, and of Saint John Fisher, who was the Bishop of Rochester, England, both of whom heroically held to the truth and authentically handed on the Catholic and Apostolic Faith as preachers, pastors, and intercessors before the throne of God. 

Bishop Bonnici’s personal arms were assumed at the time he became Auxiliary Bishop of New York in 2022. The arms are divided into three sections. The upper left shows a red background with the single charge of a silver (white) Maltese Cross which symbolizes the Bishop’s Maltese ethnicity. The upper right section shows a blue background on which there is a large, gold (yellow) and slightly skewed letter “M”. This is borrowed from the armorial bearings of St. John Paul II. Bishop Bonnici studied in Rome at the Pontifical John Paul II Institute and was ordained both a deacon and priest during the saintly pope’s pontificate. The “M” Honors Mary, the Mother of Priests and of the Church. The lower section has a gold (yellow) background showing the eagle which is a symbol of St. John the Evangelist, the Bishop’s baptismal patron. The black eagle is depicted with its wings spread and standing on the pages of an open book which is bound in red alluding to the Gospel written by St. John which has continuously been an inspiration to the Bishop in his life and ministry. Superimposed over all of this at the center is a silver (white) eight-pointed star. This is the “Stella Matutina” (Morning Star) which is a symbol of Mary. This charge is taken from the coat of arms of Pope Francis who had appointed the Bishop as a bishop and Auxiliary of New York.

The motto below the shield is, “To Jesus Through Mary”. The phrase emphasizes the role of the Virgin Mary in the Christian faith. It suggests that devotion to Mary can lead believers closer to Jesus Christ. This concept is rooted in the teachings of St. Louis de Montfort, who articulated that Mary serves as a bridge to Jesus, guiding the faithful in their spiritual journey. He popularized the phrase in his work “True Devotion to Mary,” where he described Mary as the most effective means of consecration to Jesus. The phrase is also personally meaningful to the Bishop because it was written in his own breviary by Mother Teresa when he was a seminarian and attended morning Mass at the Missionaries of Charity mission in Rome.

The shield is also ensigned with those external ornaments that indicate the bearer is a bishop. The gold (yellow) cross is placed vertically behind and extending above and below the shield. This is often mistakenly thought to be a processional cross like those used in liturgical processions, which is usually a crucifix bearing the corpus of Jesus. But that idea is not entirely right. In former times archbishops, and later all bishops, had an additional cross mounted on a staff carried immediately in front of them while in procession or on solemn occasions. This cross was a symbol of their rank as bishop. While such an episcopal cross is no longer used practically it has been retained heraldically. In fact, there are other clerics who make use of the ecclesiastical hat with its many tassels but the one true heraldic emblem of a bishop, and the only essential one, is the episcopal cross placed behind the shield.

Above the shield is the ecclesiastical hat, called a galero which, in heraldry, replaces the martial helmet, mantling and crest. “The hat with six pendant tassels (green, purple or black) on each side is universally considered in heraldry as the sign of prelacy. It, therefore, pertains to all who are actually prelates.” (Heim, Bruno B., Heraldry in the Catholic Church 1978, page 114) The galero is green with green cords pendant from it and twelve green tassels arranged in a pyramid shape on either side of the shield. At one time in history bishops and archbishops wore green before adopting the more Roman purple we see today. In heraldry the green hat and tassels was retained for prelates with the rank of bishop according to the Instruction of the Holy See’s Secretariat of State, “Ut Sive” of March, 1969.

It was my great pleasure to assist Bishop Bonnici with marshaling and emblazoning his coat of arms.

Bishop Rodriguez of Palm Beach

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On February 24, the Most Rev. Manuel de Jesus Rodriguez (52), a native of the Dominican Republic and a former Salesian who, in 2012, incardinated into the Diocese of Brooklyn, NY will be ordained and installed as the 6th Bishop of Palm Beach, Florida. The Diocese of Palm Beach, erected in 1984, has a long-standing relationship with the Diocese of Brooklyn. Its founding bishop, Thomas Daily, was later translated to Brooklyn in 1990 and Bishop Rodriguez’s immediate predecessor, Gerald Barbarito, was a priest and Auxiliary Bishop of Brooklyn.

BLAZON: Arms impaled. In the dexter: Azure, on a fess Or between in chief two celestial crowns Or and in base two barrulets wavy Argent, a palm branch Vert (Palm Beach). In the sinister: Vert between two crescents Argent a sword, point downward with the pommel in the shape of a fleur-de-lis Or above in base an antique locomotive Argent; on a chief per sapiné Argent a Cigua Palmera rising Proper (Rodriguez). The shield is ensigned with an episcopal cross Or and a bishop’s galero with cords and twelve tassels flanking the shield disposed in three rows of one, two and three all Vert. On a scroll below the shield is the motto, “Veritas Liberavit Vos”.

EXPLANATION: The armorial bearings of Bishop Manuel Rodriguez impale the coat of arms of his episcopal See with his personal coat of arms. These evoke his heritage as well as his ministry. 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 Diocese of Palm Beach. 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 bishop being “married” to his diocese.

The arms of the Diocese of Palm Beach are composed of a blue field on which are placed two small wavy silver (white) bars at the bottom of the shield that signify the waters of the Atlantic Ocean, which dominates the geography of the region. In the center of the shield is a gold (yellow) bar, called a “fess,” on which is seen a green palm branch. These symbols play on the name of the See City by placing a palm branch on the golden sands of a beach, producing a symbol for Palm Beach. Above the fess are two gold (yellow) crowns topped with stars to honor the Blessed Virgin Mary in her titles of “Queen of Heaven” and “Star of the Sea.” 

Bishop Rodriguez’s personal coat of arms is now assumed by him as he becomes a bishop. The main part of the field is green and upper part of it terminates in a division line in the shape of a line of fir trees suggesting a forest. This is to honor St. John Bosco, the founder of the Salesian Order to which the Bishop originally belonged before becoming a priest in Brooklyn. The name “Bosco” means woods or forest in Italian and the trees are used, also, on the coat of arms of the Salesians. In addition, the trees represent the oaks and pines abundant in the U.S.A. Finally, trees like these also appeared in the coat of arms of Bishop Barbarito to symbolize the same saint, Don Bosco. So, by repeating the image here Bishop Rodriguez also honors his episcopal predecessor, who was also a priest of Brooklyn before coming to Palm Beach as its bishop.

In the center of the field is a gold (yellow) sword, a symbol of St. Michael the Archangel, the pommel of which is shaped like a fleur-de-lis as an allusion to St. Joan of Arc. The fleur-de-lis is used as a symbol in heraldry for France and the stylized lily is also in the coat of arms of St. Joan, the Maid of Orleans. On either side of the sword are two silver (white) crescents. These represent several things. The crescent is used in heraldry as a symbol of Our Lady under the title of The Immaculate Conception so the crescent itself is a symbol of Mary in heraldry. In addition, the Immaculate Conception is the patroness of both the United States of America and the Diocese of Brooklyn. So, the two crescents honor the Bishop’s adopted country and the diocese he served as a priest.

At the bottom of the shield is a stylized depiction of an antique locomotive. This is a symbol of Moca, the Bishop’s hometown in the Dominican Republic. In addition, it also serves as a symbol of migrants, a special group of people to which the Bishop himself belongs and who the Church is always called to accompany. On the upper third of the shield, called a “chief” we see a Cigua Palmera, the national bird of the Dominican Republic colored as it would appear in nature. By using this symbol the Bishop honors his native land.

The external ornaments include a gold episcopal cross placed vertically behind the shield. This is often mistaken for a processional cross like the one used in liturgical processions. However, like other heraldic ornaments the episcopal 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. While no longer actually used it has remained a symbol of the episcopal 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 single barred episcopal cross and the green galero with twelve tassels signifies the coat of arms of a bishop according to the Instruction of the Holy See, “Ut Sive” issued in 1969.

The motto chosen by Bishop Rodriguez appears on a scroll below the shield. “Veritas Liberavit Vos” which translates to “The truth will set you free” is taken from Jn 8:32.

The use of the locomotive as a charge is rather unusual. More modern elements can, on occasion, be incorporated into a coat of arms even though they seem somewhat incongruous. I did attempt to persuade the bishop to use some other charge to symbolize the railroad that might have been more suitable, or at least more abstract. However, he was quite insistent that the antique locomotive itself be used as it was too strongly associated with his home town. Since it was not wholly wrong to use it I gave in and permitted it because, after all, this is his coat of arms and should reflect those things he wishes as long as they aren’t entirely inappropriate and/or violate the rules of heraldry.

It was my honor and pleasure to assist the bishop with the design and execution of his coat of arms.

Bishop Misko of Tucson

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James Misko (55), a priest of the Diocese of Austin, Texas will be ordained a bishop of February 20 and installed as the 9th Bishop of Tucson, Arizona.

Bishop Misko’s assumed coat of arms, impaled with those of the See of Tucson,  symbolizes his devotion to Jerusalem. The design suggests the ancient walls of Jerusalem and the Sheep (Lion’s) Gate, symbolizing Christ as the Lamb of God and the gateway to salvation. Marian devotion is alluded to through the blue field, and the gate also evokes Mary’s role as the living gate through whom Christ entered the world. 
  
The chief displays the flaming heart of St. Augustine, representing Bishop Misko’s devotion to the saint who is also the titular patron of the Diocese and Cathedral of Tucson, as well as an allusion to his home diocese of Austin (the name being derived from the name Augustine). The motto, Domine tuus sum ego (“Lord, I am Yours”), expresses total dependence on God. Pendant from the shield is insignia of the Equestrian Order of the Holy Sepulchre of Jerusalem, another connection to the Holy Land. 

The coat of arms is nicely done and the slight violation of the the so-called tincture rule (really more of a general norm than a hard rule) can be overlooked in this case.

Monterey Receives Bishop Bejarano

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On February 19, the Most Rev. Ramón Bejarano (56), formerly a priest of Stockton, California and, since 2020, Auxiliary Bishop of San Diego, will be installed as the 6th Bishop of Monterey in Californa. However, the jurisdiction is a much older one. The diocese of Monterey in California was created in 1967 by St. Paul VI. Prior to that it was a part of a jurisdiction going back to 1840 as the Diocese of California (The Two Californias; Both Californias), later changed to the Diocese of Monterey in 1849. It was changed again to the Diocese of Monterey-Los Angeles in 1859 and in 1922 was changed yet again to the Diocese of Monterey-Fresno. In 1967 Fresno was separated from Monterey to be its own diocese and the diocese then became the Diocese of Monterey in California as it remains today. So, including all those permutations, Bishop Bejarano becomes the 19th Ordinary of the jurisdiction!

In 2020 I was very honored to assist Bishop Bejarano with designing his personal coat of arms to be assumed on becoming the Titular Bishop of Carpi and the Auxiliary Bishop of San Diego. It was once again my honor to assist him in marshaling those arms to those of the See of Monterey.

BLAZON:  Arms impaled; in the dexter: Gules, on a mound issuant in base Argent charged with an open crown Or a latin cross of wood, Or between, to dexter and sinister a bell Argent (Monterey). In the sinister; Paly wavy Or and Azure; on a chief Gules flanked to dexter by an image of the Sacred Heart of Jesus Or, crowned and wounded Gules, enflamed Or and to sinister a rose Or seeded Gules, a sun in its splendor Or charged with a plate all chevronwise. 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: “My Soul Is Thirsting For You”.

EXPLANATION: The diocesan coat of arms alludes to the name of the diocese, Monterey—the mountain of the king—as well as to the history of the area as being settled as one of the historic California Missions.

The personal coat of arms assumed by Bishop Bejarano combines symbols that are meaningful to him reflecting his spiritual life and priestly ministry. The main part of the shield shows a background composed of alternating blue and gold (yellow) wavy vertical lines. These represent flowing waters. This alludes to his chosen motto and also symbolizes the graces that come from the Divine life to quench our thirst for God.

The upper third of the shield, called a “chief” is red because it is borrowed from the coat of arms of the Order of Mercy, the Mercedarians, of which the bishop’s patron saint, Raymond Nonnatus, was a member. The central symbol which is slightly higher than the other two resembles a monstrance because St. Raymond is often depicted artistically holding a monstrance. Furthermore, the Eucharist is, for Bishop Bejarano, the inspiration for his priestly vocation. It was through the Eucharist that he received his call to the priesthood at age seven and which keeps his faith and his ministry going. It represents the call to offer oneself as a living sacrifice.

The monstrance is flanked on either side by an image of the Sacred Heart alluding to the mercy of God and echoing the idea of a sacrificial offering of oneself united to the sacrifice of Christ and of a rose for Our Lady. In particular, it is an allusion to Our Lady of Guadalupe, patroness of the Americas. This is for the bishop’s Hispanic heritage. In connection with the appearance of Our Lady to Juan Diego the miraculous blooming of roses in December occurred.

The motto below the shield is, “My Soul Is Thirsting For You” from Psalm 63. He chose this because he sees it as also connected with St. Augustine’s phrase about our restless heart. (“Our hearts are restless, O God, until they rest in Thee”) The human heart seeks God, and Bishop Bejarano sees the need for evangelization for so many thirsting souls.

The shield is also ensigned with those external ornaments that indicate the bearer is a bishop. The gold (yellow) cross is placed vertically behind and extending above and below the shield. This is often mistakenly thought to be a processional cross like those used in liturgical processions. That is not entirely right. In former times archbishops, and later all bishops, had a cross mounted on a staff carried immediately in front of them while in procession or on solemn occasions. This cross was a symbol of their rank as bishop. While such an episcopal cross is no longer used practically it has been retained heraldically. In fact, there are other clerics who make use of the ecclesiastical hat with its many tassels but the one true heraldic emblem of a bishop, and the only essential one, is the episcopal cross placed behind the shield.

Above the shield is the ecclesiastical hat, called a galero which, in heraldry, replaces the martial helmet, mantling and crest. “The hat with six pendant tassels (green, purple or black) on each side is universally considered in heraldry as the sign of prelacy. It, therefore, pertains to all who are actually prelates.” (Heim, Bruno B., Heraldry in the Catholic Church 1978, page 114) The galero is green with green cords pendant from it and twelve green tassels arranged in a pyramid shape on either side of the shield. At one time in history bishops and archbishops wore green before adopting the more Roman purple we see today. In heraldry the green hat and tassels was retained for prelates with the rank of bishop according to the Instruction of the Holy See’s Secretariat of State, “Ut Sive” of March, 1969.

It was a great pleasure to assist Bishop Bejarano with preparing his armorial bearings once again.

Bishop Peter Bui in Phoenix

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On Tuesday, February 17, the Most Rev. Peter Dai Bui (56), a priest of the Diocese of Phoenix, Arizona will be ordained a bishop as the Titular Bishop of Ausafa and serve as the second Auxiliary Bishop of Phoenix.

BLAZON:  Argent, on a Latin cross reversed throughout Azure between two roses Gules barbed Vert and seeded Or, the Star of the Sea (Stella Maris) at the center point Or, charged with the image of the Sacred Heart of Jesus Gules (Bui). 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: “Omnia in Caritate Fiant”.

EXPLANATION: The personal coat of arms assumed by Bishop Bui combines symbols that are meaningful to him reflecting his family, his spiritual life and priestly ministry. The main part of the shield shows a silver (white) background on which there is a large blue Latin cross which is upside down. This cross is a symbol of St. Peter who, tradition holds, was crucified upside down because he said he wasn’t worthy to die in the same manner as Christ. So, his tormentors turned him upside down. At the center point where to two bars of the cross intersect there is a gold (yellow) eight-pointed star which is a symbol of Stella Maris, the Star of the Sea, an ancient title of Our Lady. The Bishop was born in a fishing village on Phụ Quoc Island. His father was a fisherman, who used the stars to navigate and who also had a strong devotion to Our Lady. In fact, in 1977 when the Bishop’s family escaped from Vietnam in his father’s fishing boat, his father recounted that he used the constellations and prayers to the Blessed Mother to navigate the family to safe shore in Bangkok. Superimposed on the star is the traditional devotional image of the Most Sacred Heart of Jesus enflamed, wounded and encircled by a crown of thorns.

In the upper part of the shield on either side of the cross are two red roses with gold (yellow) seeds and green leaves. This symbol is used in heraldry to represent Our Lady under her title of the Mystical Rose (Rosa Mystica) and it also is used to represent St. Thérèse of Lisieux who was popularly known as “The Little Flower”. These two symbols allude to the Bishop’s devotion to the Mother of God and to St. Thérèse.

The motto below the shield is, “Omnia in Caritate Fiant” from 1 Cor 16:14. It can be translated as, “Let all that you do be done in love”.

The shield is also ensigned with those external ornaments that indicate the bearer is a bishop. The gold (yellow) cross is placed vertically behind and extending above and below the shield. This is often mistakenly thought to be a processional cross like those used in liturgical processions. That is not entirely right. In former times archbishops, and later all bishops, had a cross mounted on a staff carried immediately in front of them while in procession or on solemn occasions. This cross was a symbol of their rank as bishop. While such an episcopal cross is no longer used practically it has been retained heraldically. In fact, there are other clerics who make use of the ecclesiastical hat with its many tassels but the one true heraldic emblem of a bishop, and the only essential one, is the episcopal cross placed behind the shield.

Above the shield is the ecclesiastical hat, called a galero which, in heraldry, replaces the martial helmet, mantling and crest. “The hat with six pendant tassels (green, purple or black) on each side is universally considered in heraldry as the sign of prelacy. It, therefore, pertains to all who are actually prelates.” (Heim, Bruno B., Heraldry in the Catholic Church 1978, page 114) The galero is green with green cords pendant from it and twelve green tassels arranged in a pyramid shape on either side of the shield. At one time in history bishops and archbishops wore green before adopting the more Roman purple we see today. In heraldry the green hat and tassels was retained for prelates with the rank of bishop according to the Instruction of the Holy See Secretariat of State, “Ut Sive” of March, 1969.

It was my privilege to assist Bishop Bui in devising and depicting his coat of arms.

Bishop O’Connell of Albany

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On December 5 the Most Rev. Mark William O’Connell (61), a priest and, since 2016, an Auxiliary Bishop of Boston will be installed as the 11th Bishop of the Diocese of Albany, New York.

BLAZON: Arms impaled. In the dexter: Azure, a beaver springing Tenné holding in its dexter paw a bishop’s crozier Or; in chief to sinister a crescent Argent. In the sinister: per fess Argent and Vert, a saltire between in chief and in base two trefoils facing the centerpoint all Counterchanged; overall a stag’s head erased Tenné. On a chief barry wavy Azure and Argent; overall a fish naiant Or. The shield is ensigned with an episcopal cross Or and a bishop’s galero with cords and twelve tassels flanking the shield disposed in three rows of one, two and three all Vert. On a scroll below the shield is the motto, “Invenimus Messiam”.

The armorial bearings of Bishop Mark O’Connell impale the coat of arms of his episcopal See with his personal coat of arms. These evoke his family and heritage as well as his ministry. The coat of arms is composed of a shield with its charges (symbols), a motto and the external ornamentation.

The arms of the Diocese of Albany are composed of a blue field on which are placed a beaver standing on one foot and holding a bishop’s crozier below a silver (white) crescent in the upper right corner.  The beaver holding a crozier in the arms of the See come from the fact that the original name of Albany was “Beaverwyck” as it was a major outpost on the route for traders. In addition, the beaver is an animal closely associated with Canada, where the Bishop was born. It holds a crozier as an indication of Albany as the seat of a bishop. The crescent alludes to the Immaculate Conception, the titular of the cathedral church. 

Bishop O’Connell’s personal coat of arms was originally assumed when he became a bishop in 2016. That design has now been modified by the bishop so that his personal arms have a rather different appearance. I think I have commented on this blog numerous times in the past about how I generally do not favor the idea of an armiger later redesigning and changing his arms. I think it is done far too often, especially among the American episcopate. Nevertheless, it is sometimes strongly desired especially when there may be circumstances involving the adoption of the original coat of arms that influenced that original design. Upon further reflection it may sometimes occur that an armiger has second thoughts about the arms assumed, or simply has a strong desire to try to improve the coat of arms. Under such circumstances a move such as this one—being transferred to become a diocesan bishop—provide a kind of “natural” occasion to modify the existing coat of arms. In this case, the bishop had a clear desire to simplify the design of his personal arms because he was cognizant of the custom in N. America for impaling the personal arms with those of the See. Sometimes, such an impalement renders the personal arms—when they are an especially complex design—difficult to see clearly. So, right from the start of this commission the Bishop requested that some modifications be made in order to simplify the overall look of his personal coat of arms to make it more easily discernable when impaled with those of Albany. After discussing my usual attitude towards modifying existing arms I reluctantly agreed to do what I was being asked and then, I must admit, took to the task with enthusiasm.

The basic design of the main part of the field is based on the arms traditionally associated with the name O’Connell but with some significant changes in order to “difference” them from the original and make them unique to Bishop O’Connell. So, the background divided in half with the upper portion silver (white) and the lower portion green is taken from the O’Connell arms. To this is added a saltire (a cross in the shape of an “X”) as a symbol of St. Andrew, to whom the Bishop has a great devotion, and who was crucified on an X-shaped cross. This saltire is “counterchanged” meaning it’s colors are reversed with the background colors. Above and below the saltire are two trefoils (which also resemble shamrocks). These are also counterchanged to maintain the green and white color scheme. They are depicted facing each other, as it were, with their stems in an attitude towards the center of the shield. In this way they appear to be mirror images of each other. They, too, are taken from the original O’Connell arms. While there are three in the original only two are depicted here for a sense of symmetry. They allude to both the Holy Trinity and the Bishop’s Irish heritage. In addition, the color green is an allusion to the bishop being a canon lawyer because green is the academic color usually associated with Canon Law.

Placed in the center overall there is a stag’s head. This is retained from the arms the Bishop assumed in 2016 where it served there, as it does again here, as a reference to the full stag usually depicted in the arms of O’Connell. For purposes of creating another difference from the original while at the same time hearkening back to the coat of arms the Bishop first assumed, the head of the stag cut off at the neck, rather than the whole animal, has been depicted. Instead of being depicted facing the viewer and colored red it is shown in profile and is colored Tenné. This tone is used in heraldry as a representation of the color brown, which doesn’t exist in heraldic art. The closest approximation of brown that can be used while maintaining heraldic tradition is this “stain”, as opposed to a tincture, called Tenné.

On the upper third of the shield, called a “chief” we see a background composed of blue and silver (white) wavy bars. This is borrowed from the coat of arms of the Archdiocese of Boston where Bishop O’Connell served as a priest and an Auxiliary Bishop. The two white lines also represent the two rivers of Albany. Over the wavy lines there is a gold (yellow) fish. This symbol is borrowed from the arms associated with the name Delaney which was the Bishop’s mother’s name. In the Delaney arms it represents the “Salmon of Wisdom” associated with the legend of the mythical warrior, Fionn. In addition, it is worth noting that the fish was the earliest symbol used by the infant Church as a symbol of the faith. The word for fish is ICHTHUS in Greek. Using the letters of the Greek alphabet to spell the word fish, early Christians secretly bore this symbol as it created an acronym with the hidden meaning “Jesus Christ, Son of God, Savior”. The fish was a pictorial representation of this phrase and thereby formed a secret symbol for the first Christians.

The fish upon the waves, therefore, alludes to the Bishop’s maternal family, the Archdiocese of Boston, the Diocese of Albany as well as the concept of the Apostles—and their successors, the bishops—are called to be “Fishers of Men”. In a further allusion to St. Andrew we know that St. Andrew was present during the miracle of the loaves and fishes, where he identified a boy with five loaves and two fish, which Jesus then multiplied to feed a crowd of five thousand people. This event highlights Andrew’s role in bringing others to Jesus and his participation in the early ministry of Christ.

The external ornaments include a gold episcopal cross placed vertically behind the shield. This is often mistaken for a processional cross like the one used in liturgical processions. However, like other heraldic ornaments the episcopal 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. While no longer actually used it has remained a symbol of the episcopal 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 single barred episcopal cross and the green galero with twelve tassels signifies the coat of arms of a bishop according to the Instruction of the Holy See, “Ut Sive” issued in 1969.

The motto chosen by Bishop O’Connell appears on a scroll below the shield. “Invenimus Messiam” which translates to “We Have Found the Messiah” is taken from John 1:41. The words are attributed to Saint Andrew who purportedly used them when greeting people for the first time as a way of announcing the coming of the Lord, His great work of Redemption, and his Resurrection. Bishop O’Connell’s spirituality is deeply rooted in this spiritual dictum.

I was very pleased to assist the Bishop with the modifications to his original coat of arms and to do the current artwork as well.

Jefferson City’s New Bishop

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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.

Checchio to be Coadjutor of New Orleans

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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.

Bishop Chau

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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.

Bishop Pham of San Diego

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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.

Bishop Eckman of Pittsburgh (UPDATED)

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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!

Bishop Lewandowski, CSsR of Providence

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On May 20, the Most Rev. Bruce Lewandowski, CSsR (57), a Redemptorist and formerly Auxiliary Bishop of Baltimore, will be installed as the 10th Bishop of Providence, R.I. I had previously written about the bishop’s coat of arms when he was first made Auxiliary Bishop.

Now that he is moving to become a diocesan bishop his armorial bearings will now be marshaled to those of his diocese. The Bishop had employed his sister, a Felician Sister who “works in media” for her Province to design his coat of arms. As they were back then, so too, are they something of a dumpster fire, heraldically speaking.

In an interview for The Catholic Review, the Baltimore archdiocesan newspaper, in 2020 the Bishop said, “Why would I ask anyone else?” when asked why his sister was designing his coat of arms. I think I can answer that. How about: in order to turn to someone with knowledge of a specific topic that isn’t really a DIY project? How about that? In her own part of the same interview, Sr. Lewandowski remarked about some of the particular elements of her design:

“The Holy Spirit is depicted as breaking the upper edge of the shield ‘as it is the privilege of the Holy Spirit to inspire new life and envision endless possibilities for the Church, God’s people,’ the description says. The designer noted that she was not sure if that was “allowed” but in her research she did not find any parameters that said it couldn’t be done that way.” (emphasis added)

All I can say is that must have been one quick and not very diligent Google search. Even the most cursory bit of online research should have clued her in to the fact that charges emerging through the edges of the field was a puerile and amateurish mistake. Quite frankly, I don’t see how she could have done any research and reached the conclusion that she did! There are numerous resources out there for someone unfamiliar with good heraldic practices, to say nothing of the huge online presence of groups and organizations that could have happily offered her assistance in her project.

But, this, instead, is the worst kind of so-called heraldry: heraldry as logo. (It summons up the bile just by thinking about it!).

In the same aforementioned article she said:

“…she believes a bishop’s coat of arms should tell people who he is and what he stands for. And I believe it should be a more spiritual piece, not just a historical piece,” she said. “And a lot of the coats of arms that I’ve seen and that I kind of read into, it’s a real historical document, but it doesn’t always tell you who the bishop is. She said she tried to tie in Bishop-designate Lewandowski’s spirituality into the symbols she used.”

Well, she got the first part right. A coat of arms should tell people who the armiger is. But, then she rode that right off the rails with the second part. A coat of arms does not tell people what the armiger stands for. It is for identification alone. I have often mentioned that a coat of arms is not one’s C.V. in pictures. Similarly, it isn’t an expression of personal ideology; a manifesto of one’s own spirituality or (for the clergy) a catechetical tool that expresses one’s personal beliefs as a kind of pictorial homily. Unfortunately, that’s precisely how the Lewandowski kids decided to view this project, with disastrous results.

In the latest rendering the overcrowded and poorly composed original coat of arms now falls victim to, perhaps, my second favorite pet peeve: they were changed in order to combine well with the diocesan arms. That’s not an option, full stop. (I suppose Sister didn’t find anything in her research that said she couldn’t do that either!) In addition, the charges form the personal arms are still going beyond the divisions and boundaries of the shield and/or spilling over from one impalement to the other. Clearly, this is also the classic mistake of thinking that the diocesan arms now somehow “become” part of the bishop’s coat of arms rather than being an example of two distinct and separate coats of arms marshaled together on one shield so as to express the relationship between the two!

The list of things wrong with this just goes on and on, and on…

Suffice it to say that he had a poorly designed coat of arms to begin with which would have and could have benefitted greatly from some expertise and advice from an organization, an individual, or even a decent book on the subject in order to take the elements and arrange and depict them according to good heraldic practices. Now, that poorly designed coat of arms has been badly modified and marshaled inexpertly to the point that the diocesan coat of arms of the See of Providence is depicted incorrectly!

EPIC FAIL!

But…what do you expect when a coat of arms is approached as an exercise in graphic design to tell us who the armiger really is? I’ll leave that question unanswered, thank you.

One of “The Quints” for Chicago

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On Wednesday, February 26 the Most Rev. Lawrence John Sullivan (59), a priest of the Archdiocese of Chicago for the last 33 years, will be ordained as the Titular Bishop of Lamphua and Auxiliary Bishop of the Archdiocese of Chicago. Bishop-Elect Sullivan is one of five new auxiliary bishops appointed for the archdiocese by Pope Francis.

The blazon of the arms is: Vert, between two bars in chief and in base, four fleurs-de-lis fess wise all Argent; on a chief wavy Or between two Tau crosses the winged head of the lion of St. Mark 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: ”Walk Humbly With God”.

The armorial bearings of Bishop Sullivan symbolize his birthplace, his personal devotions and the place in which he has spent his life and ministry as a priest.

The basic design of the field echoes the design on the flag of Chicago, his native place. The background color has been changed to green as a nod to the Irish heritage of the Bishop. The two blue bars and four red stars on the Chicago flag have been differenced here and changed to two silver (white) bars and four silver (white) fleurs-de-lis. These fleurs-de-lis represent multiple things. One fleur-de-lis is taken from the coat of arms of Joseph Cardinal Bernardin who ordained the Bishop a priest; the second is taken from the coat of arms of Blaise Cardinal Cupich who will be the principal consecrator ordaining him to the episcopacy; the third is from the coat of arms of Mundelein Seminary where he received his priestly formation; the fourth is not from a coat of arms but is a heraldic symbol of St. Joseph, the patron saint of his College Seminary. It goes without saying that the fleurs-de-lis also figure prominently in the coat of arms of the archdiocese of Chicago. So, the design combines symbols from the city and the archdiocese where Bishop Sullivan was born, grew up and has served as a priest and will now serve as a bishop. Lastly, the fleur-de-lis is, itself, a heraldic symbol of Our Lady.

The upper third of the shield, called a “chief” is separated from the rest of the field by a wavy line alluding to both Lake Michigan and the Chicago River. On this gold (yellow) chief are two red crosses in the famous Tau shape. These represent the Bishop’s devotion to St. Francis of Assisi. This shape of cross is associated with the saint because he himself used it. Whenever writing anything, St. Francis placed a Tau cross at the top of the page.

Between these two crosses is the haloed head and wings of the Lion of St. Mark also depicted in red. This magnificent creature is symbolic of St. Mark as referenced in the prophecy of Ezekiel 1-2 and also in the Book of Revelation. St. Mark is the Bishop’s favorite evangelist and he likes and is drawn to the very human side of Christ depicted so well in Mark’s gospel. In addition, in his own personal spirituality Bishop Sullivan feels we are called to see Christ present in the world and that we see this in others and we, too, are called to be that presence of Christ for others, revealing the face of God–the very human God in Christ– to them. The combination of the colors green, gold and red are also used on the national flag of Lithuania and so they are a recognition of the Bishop’s Lithuanian ancestry as well. 

The motto below the shield is “Walk Humbly With God”

The shield is also ensigned with those external ornaments that indicate the bearer is a bishop. The gold (yellow) episcopal cross, not to be confused with a processional cross, is placed vertically behind and extending above and below the shield. In former times archbishops, and later all bishops, had a cross mounted on a staff carried immediately in front of them while in procession or on solemn occasions. This cross was a symbol of their rank as bishop. While such an episcopal cross is no longer used practically it has been retained heraldically. In fact, there are other clerics who make use of the ecclesiastical hat with its many tassels but the one true heraldic emblem of a bishop, and the only essential one, is the episcopal cross placed behind the shield.

Above the shield is the ecclesiastical hat, called a galero which, in heraldry, replaces the martial helmet, mantling and crest. “The hat with six pendant tassels (green, purple or black) on each side is universally considered in heraldry as the sign of prelacy. It, therefore, pertains to all who are actually prelates.” (Heim, Bruno B., Heraldry in the Catholic Church 1978, page 114) The galero is green with green cords pendant from it and twelve green tassels arranged in a pyramid shape on either side of the shield. At one time in history bishops and archbishops wore green before adopting the more Roman purple we see today. In heraldry the green hat and tassels was retained for prelates with the rank of bishop according to the Instruction of the Secretariat of State, “Ut Sive” of March, 1969.

It was my pleasure and my privilege to assist Bishop-Elect Sullivan with the creation of his coat of arms. I was responsible for the design and also provided the artwork.

New Bishop in Oslo

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The Most Rev. Frederik Hansen (45) was ordained a bishop on January 18 and became Coadjutor Bishop of Oslo, Norway with the automatic right of succession to Bishop Bernt Ivar Eidsvig, CRSA, who is currently 71. When he succeeds to the See, Bishop Hansen will be the 9th Bishop of Oslo.

In the interests of full disclosure, the new bishop, who spent some time working for the diplomatic corps of the Holy See and was in residence in a parish in my native diocese of Rockville Centre, NY contacted me upon his appointment to design his coat of arms. However, he later was informed that the diocese of Oslo had already secured the services of another heraldist, Archbishop Charles Scicluna of Malta.

The Bishop’s arms are quartered with those of the Diocese of Oslo, somewhat unusually for someone who is not yet the diocesan bishop but more of a “diocesan bishop-in-waiting”. This will, of course, save him the trouble of having a new rendering made when the time comes that he succeeds to the See. nevertheless, it is unusual because he does not yet possess jurisdiction over the See.

For his personal arms, seen in the second and third quarters, the heraldic colors, blue and silver, are from Drammen’s city coat of arms. The “IHS” is the monogram of the name “Jesus” and points to Jesus’ holy name and Bishop Hansen’s devotion to “the name above all names” (Phil 2,9–10) which is given to mankind for salvation (see Acts 4,12). The open book refers to Bishop Hansen’s work in church administration and in priestly formation and teaching. The two croziers allude to two Norwegian saint-bishops: St. Torfinn, bishop of Hamar, and St. Eystein, Primate-Archbishop of Nidaros.

Despite not having worked on this project I’d say the bishop was in good hands and has achieved an excellent result (pun intended).

Cardinal McElroy Translated to Washington, DC

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Today, the Holy Father announced to transfer of Robert Cardinal McElroy (70), the Bishop of San Diego, to succeed Wilton Cardinal Gregory (77) as Metropolitan Archbishop of Washington, DC.

I did not design the Cardinal’s coat of arms but I did prepare the current emblazoning on his elevation to the College of Cardinals.

In addition to a new impalement and the addition of an archiepiscopal cross it will be interesting to see if the Cardinal modifies his personal arms at all. The two charges in chief represent two California historic Mission Churches in San Francisco (where he served as a priest) and in San Diego (where he has been serving as diocesan bishop).

Of course I’m no fan of bishops modifying their arms when they move but I could see how he might wish to eliminate these two very Californian references. On the other hand, they both also serve to honor the places of his origin and previous ministry. So, retaining them could also be a good thing. Time will tell.

Below is how his coat of arms may appear after he is installed in Washington: