29.09.2020
The Coat of Arms of Most. Rev. Félicien Ntambue Kasembe, who has been consecrated on Sunday, September 27, as the new Bishop of the Roman Catholic Diocese of Kabinda, The Democratic Republic of Congo.
26.09.2020
The Coat of Arms of Most. Rev. Adriano Cevolotto, who has been consecrated today, on Saturday, September 26, as the new Bishop of the Roman Catholic Diocese of Piacenza-Bobbio, Italy.
23.09.2020
The Coat of Arms of Most. Rev. Stephen D. Parkes, who has been consecrated today, on Wednesday, September 23, as the new Bishop of the Roman Catholic Diocese of Savannah, United States.
Bishop's Coat of Arms A bishop’s coat of arms is distinguished by a sign of his rank. That sign, placed over a shield, is a version of an ecclesiastical hat that was worn in processions as late as 1870. By heraldic tradition, the coat of arms includes the arms of the bishop and the arms of his jurisdiction, in this case the Diocese of Savannah, represented on the left side of the shield. The Lamb of God at the base of the shield recognizes the centrality of the Eucharist in both the life of the Church and Bishop Parkes. The Lamb is carrying the flag of victory (over death) which gives hope for the future. It also points to John the Baptist, patron of the Diocese of Savannah, who introduced Jesus as “the Lamb of God who takes away the sin of the world.” The fleur-de-lis at the top of the shield shows the Bishop’s personal devotion to the Blessed Mother. He served 16 of his 22 years of priestly ministry at Annunciation Catholic Church in the Diocese of Orlando, where Mary is their patron saint. The fleur-de-lis is also on the coat of arms for the Diocese of Orlando, for whom he was ordained a priest in 1998. The final component of the Bishop’s shield is the palm frond across the middle. This honors St. Stephen, who is both the patron of the Bishop and honors the date of his parents’ reception of the sacrament of matrimony on December 26, the Feast of St. Stephen. The palm itself is a symbol of martyrdom, hence used to represent St. Stephen, the first martyr for the Church. |
22.09.2020
The Coat of Arms of Most. Rev. Paul Daisuke Narui, who has been consecrated today, on Tuesday, September 22, as the new Bishop of the Roman Catholic Diocese of Niigata, Japan.
20.09.2020
The Coat of Arms of Most. Rev. Martin Hayes, who has been consecrated today, on Sunday, September 20, as the new Bishop of the Roman Catholic Diocese of Kilmore, Ireland.
Episcopal Crest & Motto
Following a custom dating from the mid-twelfth century, most bishops adopt a crest or coat-of-arms. The bishop chooses elements that hold personal meaning for him in relation to his ministry, and these are combined in a display on a shield. Heraldic tradition places a stylised hat called a galero above the shield, shown in green, with six tassels on either side, and behind the shield a processional cross. Bishop Martin’s crest has two sections and two background colours. On the left is a representation of the Kilmore crest with Jerusalem Cross, Pastoral Staff and Mitre. On the right is Bishop Martin’s personal expression of how we as a pilgrim people (Camino Shell) are anchored in our faith in being invited to be part of the relationship of the Trinity (Shamrock) through the Eucharist (Grain and the Grapes). As his motto, displayed below the shield, Bishop Martin has chosen ‘Your steadfast love endures’ (Ps 136:6) to indicate that God’s love is paramount. God’s love is evident from the moment of creation, estimated by cosmologists to be some 13.8 billion years ago, leading to the formation of stars, the galaxies, our solar system to include the Earth, the beginning of plant life, animal life and human life. Each one of us is ‘made in the image and likeness of God’ (Genesis 1:27) and each one of us is called to respond to God’s love in our loving of each other and our caring for all of life. |
19.09.2020
The New Coat of Arms of the Anglican Diocese of Igbomina, The Church of Nigeria (Anglican Communion).
The New Coat of Arms
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The Former Coat of Arms
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19.09.2020
The Coat of Arms of the new Syriac Catholic Bishop Flavian Rami Al Kabalan, Titular Bishop of Arethusa dei Siri and Apostolic Visitor in Western Europe for the Syriac Catholics.
12.09.2020
The Coat of Arms of Most Rev. Ricardo Morales Galindo, who has been consecrated today, on Saturday, September 12, as the new Bishop of the Roman Catholic Diocese of Copiapó, Brazil.
12.09.2020
The Coat of Arms of Most Rev. José Amable Durán Tineo, new Auxiliary Bishop of the Roman Catholic Archdiocese of Santo Domingo, Dominican Republic, who has been consecrated today, on Saturday, September 12, as the Titular Bishop of Tacia Montana.
05.09.2020
The Coat of Arms of Most Rev. Alessandro Damiano, who has been consecrated today, on Saturday, September 5, as the Coadjutor Archbishop of the Roman Catholic Archdiocese of Agrigento, Italy.
05.09.2020
The Coat of Arms of Most Rev. Giovanni Carlos Caldas Barroca, who has been consecrated today, on Saturday, September 5, as the new Bishop of the Roman Catholic Diocese of Uruaçu, Brazil.
31.08.2020
The new Emblem of the Diocese of Baghdad (Iraq) of the Assyrian Church of the East.
30.08.2020
The Coat of Arms of Most Rev. Paul Dempsey, who has been consecrated today, on Sunday, August 30, as the new Bishop of the Roman Catholic Diocese of Achonry, Ireland.
Bishop's Coat of Arms In the right side of the shield (in heraldic shield, right and left are exchanged from the observer point of view since we have to consider the right and the left of the soldier who, in ancient times, holds his own shield) we find the Saint Brigid’s Cross, associated with Brigid of Kildare, reminding us that Father Paul ministered for twenty-three years as a priest of the diocese of Kildare & Leighlin. The shell is the well-known symbol of the Pilgrim. The Bishop leads the earthly pilgrimage of the flock entrusted to his pastoral care as fellow pilgrims towards the homeland of heaven. The lion symbolises strength and courage. The sword in classical iconography of the Roman Catholic Church is the symbol of Saint Paul. These two symbols, the lion and the sword, appear on the Dempsey family Coat of Arms. The silver (Argent) is the colour of transparency, truth and justice, fundamental qualities for the Bishop’s pastoral service. The green (Sinople) in heraldry signifies abundance, joy, hope and loyalty in love. It is associated with St. Patrick and is the national colour of Ireland. The red, is the colour of love, of blood, a reminder of the infinite love of the Father who sent the Son to shed His blood for us on the cross in a profound act of love. |
29.08.2020
The Coat of Arms of titular Bishop Anton Ranjith Pillainayagam of Materiana, consecrated today, on Saturday, August 29, as the new Auxiliary Bishop of the Roman Catholic Archdiocese of Colombo, Sri Lanka.
29.08.2020
The Coat of Arms of Most Rev. László Kerekes, Titular Bishop of Tharros, newly-consecrated today, on Saturday, August 29, as the new Auxiliary Bishop of the Roman Catholic Diocese of Alba Iulia, Romania.
29.08.2020
The Coat of Arms of Most Rev. Joseph Mwongela, the new Bishop of the Roman Catholic Diocese of Kitui, Kenya. The Bishop was consecrated and installed today, on Saturday, August 29.
The Coat of Arms description by Bishop Joseph Mwongela:
Described as a source of inspiration to the Bishop spiritual life and pastoral ministry as a shepherd, the coat of arms has a combination of various symbols which include an image of a dove with an olive branch, the human heart, a tree with deep roots and large branches and a symbol of the good shepherd.
The coat of arms has also been designed using various colors such as green, dark brown, blue, yellow and white stripes and sky blue.
According to the Bishop, the image of a dove stands for the Holy Spirit coming to bring peace. He explains that Kitui Diocese needs to let the Holy Spirit work in as all Christians serve and build the kingdom of God here on earth and rest in peace in eternity when we leave this earth.
“We need the Holy Spirit to come into our hearts and transform us to embrace reconciliation and love, and extend an olive branch to other people including our enemies, real or imagined,” said Bishop Joseph Mwongela.
The image of the human heart in the coat of arms is a sign to “help me reach out to the people and win their hearts.”
He wishes to have “a big heart” that will accommodate all, adding that through the symbol, his own heart must be on the Church because “where one’s treasure is, there is his or her heart too.”
The Bishop prays that “our hearts be restless until they rest in God (and) that we may never flag in zeal as we seek to do the will of the one who has called us.”
The symbol of a tree with deep roots and large branches depicts the Kingdom of God growing like a mustard seed to become a large tree where birds of the air come to nest and the roots call for firmness in faith as received and transmitted to others in the Church.
The Church leader narrates further in relation to Pope Francis’ encyclical letter Laudato Si’ that the tree represents “a place of shelter and refuge as we enjoy good fruits and implement social programs in the Diocese.”
“There is need to continue watering the tree so as to remain green and full of sap and with sweet fruits,” he said.
The image of the good shepherd symbolizes care for the flock characterized by love and tenderness.
The Bishop-elect prays that he may smell his sheep “and learn how to be a father to all.”
The Bishop-elect who has been promoting unity among the clergy, Religious and laity and wishes to continue with the same spirit in his new ministry as bishop whose motto is “Your will be done.”
He narrates that the motto drives him to do the will of God who called him “with total abandonment.”
Explaining the various colors used in the coat of arms Bishop Mwongela said, “The green color of the tree and grass depicts life; the dark brown soil shows our land and the struggles of our people in food production; the blue color signifies love and devotion to Mary our Mother, Our Lady of Africa.”
“The sky blue with white symbolizes the heavenly glory as we seek to do the will of God here on earth as it is in heaven, while the yellow and white stripes show the colorfulness of our local people who despite their low income always want to shine for Christ,” he said adding that the Celtic cross at the back of the shield is the link with the Irish Missionaries who were the founders of Kitui Diocese.
28.08.2020
The new Coat of Arms of the Eparchy of Argentina and South America (Аргентинская и Южноамериканская епархия) of the Russian Orthodox Church (Moscow Patriarchate).
27.08.2020
The Coat of Arms of Most Rev. Vicente Saeteros Sierra, the new Auxiliary Bishop of the Roman Catholic Diocese of Portoviejo, Ecuador.
El escudo representa las dos devociones que considera sus pilares: la Virgen María (la estrella) y la Eucaristía (cáliz y hostia), con el lema “Fiat misericordia tua” (“Hágase tu misericordia”). The shield represents the two devotions considered by its pillars: the Virgin Mary (the star) and the Eucharist (chalice and host), with the motto ′′Fiat misericordia tua′′ (′′Make your mercy′′). |
26.08.2020
The Heraldry of the Diocese of Ekwulobia, the newest Roman Catholic diocese in Nigeria.
Pope Francis has established the Diocese of Ekwulobia on March 5, 2020. Its first bishop is Most Rev.
Peter Ebere Okpaleke.
The Ekwulobia Diocesan Coat of Arms consists of a shield on top of which is set a Bishop’s mitre. A cross and a pastoral staff (crozier) stand at angles on both sides and are partly hidden from view by the shield. On the shield is the image of the Holy Spirit bathing the universe in divine energy. At the lower end of the shield is the image of a wooden gong (ekwe) surrounded by wavelike structures. The shield is set in deep blue colour while the image of the Holy Spirit, as well as the wooden gong, is red. The Mitre is in white colour. The lappets and decorations on the mitre are golden. There are also three buttons in the form of crosses. They are set at the upper side of the shield, one at the middle and two at the sides. There are three other obvious images of the cross: on the lappets and on the mitre.
A shield usually protects from harm. This is what faith does. In Eph 6:16, St. Paul speaks of the “shield of faith” to enable one quench the burning arrows of the evil one. It is, however, faith that has gone through the purifying fire of Good Friday (the Cross) and one that yields itself to the guidance of the Church symbolized by the crozier.
True faith is inextricably connected with love and hope (1 Cor 13:13). These constitute the three theological virtues. The three buttons stand for these virtues. Because of love’s preeminence in our relationship with God and with one another, it is centrally placed and higher up than the others. The button near the cross stands for hope because suffering above all else exercises our hope (Rom 5:3-5). Faith is near the crozier because it comes from hearing (Rom 10:17) and it is celebrated and kept alive in the midst of the community of brothers and sisters. The abundance of the image of the cross, seven in all, is a reminder of the profile of a disciple as one carrying his or her cross; living for the good of others through total self-gift, in imitation and obedience to Jesus Christ (Matt 16:24).
The image and the red colour of the Holy Spirit indicate that the Spirit brings life and fire and generously bestows its transforming energy on creation. The Spirit leads all into the mystery of Jesus Christ (Jn 16:13). Moved by the power of the Holy Spirit on Pentecost (Acts 2:1ff), the disciples went out preaching the Good News to the ends of the earth in fulfilment of the missionary mandate (Matt 28:19-20).
In the Igbo context, the wooden gong (ekwe) is the instrument for convoking an assembly for deliberation, for “Palaver.” It is also the instrument for readying the community for a public service announcement. The gong stands in for our diocesan family, what we want to be and to do. We want to be a diocesan family convoked by the Holy Spirit, sharing and celebrating our experiences of God in a spirit of openness and respect for one another, for we are all one in Christ (Gal 3:28). We want to be like the ekwe used by the Holy Spirit to gather the scattered children of God. We are on a mission. This demands that we embody the Good News and announce it by word and example. The wavelike image surrounding the ekwe announces both a reality and a prayer. It is a reality that we have been set in motion by the action of the Holy Spirit and a prayer that through the power of the same Holy Spirit, we may use all that are and have; all the means of communication – traditional and modern – to bring people to taste that the Lord is good (Ps 34:8).
Blue is the colour of our Blessed Mother Mary, whose spouse Joseph, is the patron saint of our diocese. We are connected in a deep way with Our Lady. True to the character of St. Joseph, chaste, humble, reliable and self-effacing, we have also represented him indirectly through reference to our Blessed Mother Mary and her Son. By this, we remind ourselves as a diocese to walk humbly, like St. Joseph, before our God (Mi 6:8) to be chaste and reliable instruments in God’s hands, those whose only desire is to die to self so that Jesus Christ will live and shine out (Gal 2:20) more clearly in our faith, working through love (Gal 5:6) and sustained by the hope of the crown of glory to be won through our perseverance (1 Thess 2:19). This anticipated victory in God’s Kingdom is symbolized by the white (Rev. 7:9) and the golden colours of the mitre and the lappets respectively. We hope to partake in this victory together with and under the leadership of our chief shepherd.
The Ekwulobia Diocesan Coat of Arms consists of a shield on top of which is set a Bishop’s mitre. A cross and a pastoral staff (crozier) stand at angles on both sides and are partly hidden from view by the shield. On the shield is the image of the Holy Spirit bathing the universe in divine energy. At the lower end of the shield is the image of a wooden gong (ekwe) surrounded by wavelike structures. The shield is set in deep blue colour while the image of the Holy Spirit, as well as the wooden gong, is red. The Mitre is in white colour. The lappets and decorations on the mitre are golden. There are also three buttons in the form of crosses. They are set at the upper side of the shield, one at the middle and two at the sides. There are three other obvious images of the cross: on the lappets and on the mitre.
A shield usually protects from harm. This is what faith does. In Eph 6:16, St. Paul speaks of the “shield of faith” to enable one quench the burning arrows of the evil one. It is, however, faith that has gone through the purifying fire of Good Friday (the Cross) and one that yields itself to the guidance of the Church symbolized by the crozier.
True faith is inextricably connected with love and hope (1 Cor 13:13). These constitute the three theological virtues. The three buttons stand for these virtues. Because of love’s preeminence in our relationship with God and with one another, it is centrally placed and higher up than the others. The button near the cross stands for hope because suffering above all else exercises our hope (Rom 5:3-5). Faith is near the crozier because it comes from hearing (Rom 10:17) and it is celebrated and kept alive in the midst of the community of brothers and sisters. The abundance of the image of the cross, seven in all, is a reminder of the profile of a disciple as one carrying his or her cross; living for the good of others through total self-gift, in imitation and obedience to Jesus Christ (Matt 16:24).
The image and the red colour of the Holy Spirit indicate that the Spirit brings life and fire and generously bestows its transforming energy on creation. The Spirit leads all into the mystery of Jesus Christ (Jn 16:13). Moved by the power of the Holy Spirit on Pentecost (Acts 2:1ff), the disciples went out preaching the Good News to the ends of the earth in fulfilment of the missionary mandate (Matt 28:19-20).
In the Igbo context, the wooden gong (ekwe) is the instrument for convoking an assembly for deliberation, for “Palaver.” It is also the instrument for readying the community for a public service announcement. The gong stands in for our diocesan family, what we want to be and to do. We want to be a diocesan family convoked by the Holy Spirit, sharing and celebrating our experiences of God in a spirit of openness and respect for one another, for we are all one in Christ (Gal 3:28). We want to be like the ekwe used by the Holy Spirit to gather the scattered children of God. We are on a mission. This demands that we embody the Good News and announce it by word and example. The wavelike image surrounding the ekwe announces both a reality and a prayer. It is a reality that we have been set in motion by the action of the Holy Spirit and a prayer that through the power of the same Holy Spirit, we may use all that are and have; all the means of communication – traditional and modern – to bring people to taste that the Lord is good (Ps 34:8).
Blue is the colour of our Blessed Mother Mary, whose spouse Joseph, is the patron saint of our diocese. We are connected in a deep way with Our Lady. True to the character of St. Joseph, chaste, humble, reliable and self-effacing, we have also represented him indirectly through reference to our Blessed Mother Mary and her Son. By this, we remind ourselves as a diocese to walk humbly, like St. Joseph, before our God (Mi 6:8) to be chaste and reliable instruments in God’s hands, those whose only desire is to die to self so that Jesus Christ will live and shine out (Gal 2:20) more clearly in our faith, working through love (Gal 5:6) and sustained by the hope of the crown of glory to be won through our perseverance (1 Thess 2:19). This anticipated victory in God’s Kingdom is symbolized by the white (Rev. 7:9) and the golden colours of the mitre and the lappets respectively. We hope to partake in this victory together with and under the leadership of our chief shepherd.
Bishop's Coat of Arms:
Coats of arms have been in use by cities, families and individuals since the time of the Greeks. These coats of arms are not only marks of identity but also depictions of what their users stand for. The images and colours are symbolic modes of expression. A coat of arms also contains a statement of commitment or vision called the motto.
The Church took up the practice of making and using coats of arms. There are some common elements in Bishops’ coats of arms. The first is the shepherd’s hat, a constant reminder that the bishop is a shepherd, a pastor who imitating Jesus Christ, is charged with leading God’s people to restful waters (Ps. 23). The shield, the sword and the priestly cincture (cord) show that the bishop is a shepherd of a pilgrim Church, the Church militant, who need the shield of faith, the sword of the Word of God and the belt of truth (Eph 6:14-17) to triumph.
The motto “Veni Sancte Spiritus” – “Come Holy Spirit” – unites all the motifs in my coat of arms. The invocation is for a new Pentecost and recalls the words of the sequence of the Mass of Pentecost – the Golden Sequence – whose rich poetry and deep thoughts have continually sustained my prayer life and vision of ministry. It is not in vain that Jesus told his disciples to wait till they have received the Holy Spirit, the power from on high, (Lk 24:49) who would lead them into all truth (Jn 16:13) and then they would be his witnesses (Acts 1:8). As Church and as individual Christians, we still need the power and warmth of the Spirit’s love in order to urge our feet on the path of truth and move our hearts to love God and one another.
The dove, the tongues as of fire and the red colour are all associated with the Holy Spirit. The praying hand is an invitation to prayer. Prayer is the acknowledgement of the primacy of God; an exercise of trust borne out of a receptive disposition towards the Holy Spirit, who intercedes for us with words too deep for human understanding (Rom 8:26) and transforms our lives, our actions and ultimately our relationships and our environment – human and physical – so that we become like the tree planted by the river (Ps 1:3) evergreen, ever fruitful. The green colour of the shepherd hats and the cincture express my prayer and vision of a ministry that is life-giving in imitation of Jesus, the good shepherd, who came that we may have life in full (Jn 10:10).
06.08.2020
The Coat of Arms of the Episcopal / Anglican Province of Alexandria.
The Episcopal/Anglican Province of Alexandria officially became the 41st Province of the Anglican Communion on Wednesday, June 29th. It was previously known as the Diocese of Egypt with North Africa and the Horn of Africa, within the Province of Jerusalem and the Middle East. The Province have four dioceses: Egypt, North Africa, the Horn of Africa and Gambella and serve ten North African countries: Egypt, Algeria, Tunisia, Libya, Chad, Mauritania, Eritrea, Ethiopia, Djibouti and Somalia. The Primate and Metropolitan of the Province is the Archbishop of Alexandria, Egypt. |