“Before the Cross there is no defense”
Thanks to Saint Louis Catholic for pointing me to Archbishop-Elect Robert J. Carlson’s Coat of Arms.
The personal arms of Bishop Carlson were designed by the Rev. James Parker. The “garb” is the heraldic representation of the sheaf of wheat and represents the bishop’s native city of Minneapolis, Minn., known as the “Miller of the Midwest”. The field of green suggests the great plains of South Dakota as well as the liturgical color for growth in the Faith.
On the field, on either side of the sheaf of wheat are a crescent and a Latin Cross. The silver crescent represents Mary Immaculate and the Cross represents the bishop’s faith committment and his mission to the faithful entrusted to his care. The heraldic cheif at the top of the shield is taken from the family arms of the bishop. The wavy bars in the base of the shield represent the Sioux River and the bishop’s service in the Diocese of Sioux Falls.
The scroll, bearing the bishop’s motto is placed below the shield. As his watchword, the bishop chose: ANTE CRUCEM NIHIL DEFENSIONIS, which means “Before the Cross there is no defense”. The entire achievement is completed by the addition of a gold processional cross that extends above and below the shield and a green ecclesiastical hat, the galero, with ten tassles on each side disposed in four rows on either side of the shield. These are the heralidc insignia of an archbishop according to the Instruction of the Holy See given on March 31, 1969.
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