Christ the Cornerstone

THE COAT OF ARMS OF

THE MOST REVEREND CHARLES C. THOMPSON, J.C.L.

Fifth Bishop of Evansville

Blazon:

Arms impaled. Argent, in base two barlets wavy Azure; Upon a chief embattled of the second a crescent of the first. Sinister: Argent, between per fess two barlets wavy two crosses, all Azure; in chief a fleur-de-lis Vert and in base an inverted Latin cross of the second upon a broadsword, per bend sinister, of the last.

Significance:

The episcopal heraldic achievement, or bishop's coat of arms, is composed of a shield, which is the central and most important part of the design, a scroll with a motto and the external ornamentation. The design is described (blazoned) as if the description was being given by the bearer (from behind) with the shield being worn on the left arms. Thus, it must be remembered, where it applies, as the device is viewed from the front that the terms sinister and dexter are reversed. By heraldic tradition, the arms of the bishop of a diocese, called an "Ordinary," are joined (impaled) with the arms of his jurisdiction, in this case the Diocese of Evansville, that are seen in the dexter impalement (left side) of the design. In 1834, as part of the early expansion of The Church in America, the Holy See established a diocese at Vincennes in Indiana. In 1898 the seat of the diocese was transferred to Indianapolis and in 1944, when Indianapolis became the seat of an archdiocese, the Diocese of Evansville was established. The coat of arms of the Diocese of Evansville reflects its heritage. In the base of a silver (white) field are two blue wavy bars to represent the waters of the Ohio River that forms such a significant aspect of the geography of the City of Evansville. The demarcation of the main field, as it abuts the heraldic chief, is embattled to represent that the Diocese of Evansville was carved from territory of the original diocese that was located around the Fort of Post Vincennes. Upon the blue chief is a silver (white) crescent to signify that Bishop Simon Brute, First Bishop of Vincennes, placed the diocese under "the protection of the glorious Mother of God, the Blessed Virgin Mary." And while, the crescent is a significant symbol of the Blessed Virgin Mary, especially as it referred to Mary in her title of the Immaculate Conception, as recorded in the Book of Revelation (Rev. 12:1), the crescent also signifies that City of Evansville that sits aside a major bend, a crescent, in the flow of the Ohio River. For his personal arms. His Excellency, Bishop Thompson has adopted a design that reflects his heritage and his ministry as a priest of Jesus Christ. These arms are composed of a silver (white) field on which are place (across the center - "per fess") two blue wavy bars that are a classical heraldic representation for water. Here they represent the Ohio River that connects the states of Kentucky and Indiana. Between the barlets are two blue crosses to represent the Catholic heritage that has come to The Bishop from both of his parents Charles and Mary (Thomas) Thompson. Above the barlets wavy is a green fleur-de-lis that is taken from the arms of the diocese of Bardstown in Kentucky. As with other locations, like Vincennes, Indianapolis and Evansville, the growth of Catholicism in the United States has seen movement in diocesan centers from time to time. Such has been the case in Kentucky where the first inland diocese in the United States was established at Bardstown, in 1808. That seat, to also reflect church growth was transferred to Louisville in 1841. So, for Bishop Thompson his ecclesiastical roots are in Bardstown. Bishop Thompson has personal devotion to Saints Peter and Paul. This devotion is represented in the base of the bishop's per sonal arms with the inverted blue Latin cross, for Saint Peter, who found himself so unworthy to even die as Christ died, was crucified by the Roman upside-down, and for Saint Paul who is represented with a green sword. For his motto Bishop Thompson has selected the phrase "CHRIST THE CORNERSTONE," from Saint Paul's Letter to the Ephesians (Eph. 2:20). By this motto, His Excellency, Bishop Thompson acknowledges that all that we do "as church" comes from and is centered upon The Lord, Jesus Christ. The achievement in completed by the external ornamentation which are a gold processional cross, that is placed in back of the shield and which extends above and below the shield, and the pontifical hat, called a "gallero" with its six tassels in three rows on either side of the shield, all in green. These are the heraldic insignia of a prelate of the rank of bishop, by instruction of The Holy See, of March 31, 1969. placed (across the center - "per fess") two By: Deacon Paul J. Sullivan Deacon of the Diocese of Providence