Wednesday 13 May 2009

Bishop Campbell's Coat of Arms

Bishop Campbell's coat of arms was revealed for the first time at the inauguration Mass on 1st May. The left hand side of the shield is the diocesan arms, while the Bishop's personal arms are seen on the right. The green hill represents his home town of Larne, Co. Antrim; the book signifies the Bishop's devotion to the Word of God in Sacred Scripture; the heart and arrow are a symbol of the Augustinian order.

Yesterday the new coat of arms was unveiled on the cathedra; Bishop Patrick's shield was left there until after the handover. Beneath the shield is the Bishop's motto, "Ecce nova facio omnia" - "Behold, I make all things new" (Rev. 21:5).

A new hanging at the back of the Cathedral also shows the Bishop's coat of arms. To the left of it hangs an image of Our Lady of Lourdes and to the right an image of St Cuthbert. These are the two patrons of the Diocese of Lancaster.

The three hangings form an attractive backdrop beneath the organ loft.

Bishop O'Donoghue's shield is now to be found on the choir stalls, part of a series of five shields which hold the arms of the first five Bishops of Lancaster.

Starting from the right, we see the shields of Bishop Thomas Wulstan Pearson (1924-1938), Bishop Thomas Edward Flynn (1939-1961), Bishop Brian Charles Foley (1962-1985), Bishop John Brewer (1985-2000), Bishop Patrick O'Donoghue (2001-2009). If you'd like to read a little more about Bishop Campbell's coat of arms, see the dedicated page on the diocesan website: click here. There will be more about the diocesan coat of arms on this blog in due course. You may also wish to read the text of Bishop Campbell's homily at yesterday's Chapter Mass; this has been posted on the diocesan website and can be found here.