FYI

Bishop Foys’ Coat of Arms combines a design of his own choosing with the Coat of Arms of the Diocese of Covington.

The diocesan design on the left hand side of the shield was commissioned by Bishop William T. Mulloy following the 1953 elevation of the Covington’s Cathedral to the status of a minor basilica.

Imposed on the blue upper portion is a gold fleur-de-lis within the arms of a silver crescent moon. Both are symbols of the Blessed Virgin Mary. Their juxtaposition in this fashion indicates her Assumption, or, as the artist conceived it, “the Blessed Virgin elevated above the sub-lunary world.” It is under this aspect that Mary is Patroness of the Cathedral Basilica of the Assumption.

Below it is a red cross on a white field. Pointing upward on the vertical beam of the cross is a gold sword, the symbol of St. Paul, patron of the Diocese of Covington.

The right hand side of the shield represents Bishop Foys’ life and ministry in the Diocese of Steubenville, as well as his hopes for his episcopal service to the Diocese of Covington.

The bishop’s personal half of the shield is divided into blue and red quadrants. A white fleur-de-lis, a symbol not only of Mary in this instance, but also of the Cistercian Order and Blessed Roger Ellant (a Cistercian abbot of the twelfth century), adorns the upper half. The lower half is graced by a white lily, signifying St. Joseph. By these two symbols the baptismal patrons of Bishop Foys are represented. The red, white and blue colors also honor his Slovenian heritage.

 

Above the shield is a gold processional cross surmounted by a green pontifical hat called a gallero. The cross and hat with six tassels on either side portray the rank of a bishop.

The Latin phrase on the scroll beneath the shield, “Let your light shine,” (Matt 5:16) is the episcopal motto by which Bishop Foys guides the Diocese of Covington.

The present Arms of the Diocese of Covington were devised in 1960 by William F. J. Ryan (1903–1981) of New York, N.Y. and West Chatham, Massachusetts.

The personal Arms of Bishop Foys were devised by A.W.C. Phelps, Cleveland, Ohio, in consultation with The Most Reverend Roger Joseph Foys, D.C., Saturday, June 1, 2002.

The preceding was a reprint of an article published on the Diocese of Covington’s website.  http://www.covdio.org/coat-of-arms/

For the bishop of a diocese, his personal arms are joined (impaled) with the arms of his jurisdiction; in this case the Diocese of Lexington. On the left half of the shield, the
coat of arms of the diocese are composed of three sections of red, white, and blue, the national colors of the United States. To the left the field is red with a sword, symbol of Saint Paul, patron of the Diocese of Covington. To the right is a white field that displays a blue fleur-de-lis, representing the Archdiocese of Louisville. It was from the Covington and Louisville dioceses that
the Diocese of Lexington was formed. Its base is a blue field, to honor “the Bluegrass State” of
Kentucky, that displays a white cross, upon which is a gold diadem to honor Christ the King, patron
of the diocese’s cathedral. On the right side are the personal arms of Bishop John. These are composed of a white field on which is seen a red eagle, the symbol of Saint John, Bishop John’s baptismal and religious patron. Below the eagle is a black Tau cross, emblematic of Saint Francis of Assisi, founder of Bishop John’s religious order. The color black represents the dominant color of the Franciscan habit. Upon the tau is a green “Mary’s Key,” seen hanging from the belt of the Blessed Virgin Mary as Our Lady of Consolation, the national shrine of which Bishop John was rector. For his motto, Bishop John has adopted the Latin phrase , ” ANNUNTIAMUS VERBUM VITAE”, translated as, “We announce the Word of life.” Outside of the shield are a gold processional cross and a pontifical hat with 6 tassels. These are the heraldic insignia of the rank of bishop.

The preceding was a reprint of an article published in the May 17th issue of Crossroads. Author unspecified.

From Fr. Mark, Council 6101 Chaplain

We have now transitioned from the Easter Season to Pentecost and now into what is called Ordinary Time in the Church calendar. Now, the word “ordinary” in popular usage is used to describe things that are nondescript or dull, ordinary rather means customary, regular, and orderly. As well, “Ordinary Time” may also be called Ordinal Time, which means numbered time. Ordinal comes from the Latin “ordinalis,” which is a word meaning “showing order, denoting an order of succession.”
[Read more…] about Ordinary Time