Home > About Us > Bishop Lawrence E. Brandt > Coat of Arms

Bishop Brandt's Coat of Arms

BLAZON (description in heraldic terms):

IMPALED ARMS: on the dexter for the Diocese of Greensburg; vert, on a fess embattled between in chief two crosses patte arrondie and in base a Chi Rho or, a mullet of five points azure between two patriarchial crosses patte Gules: on the sinister for Bishop Brandt; Per fess Or and Gules, a lion rampant counterchanged, armed and langued azure, and holding in its dexter paw a gridiron upright Sable.

MOTTO: Ignis Caritatis. "With the Fire of Love."

SIGNIFICANCE: The entire "achievement," or Coat of Arms as it is generally called, is composed of the shield with its charges, the motto and the external ornaments.  As one looks at the shield, the terms dexter and sinister must be understood contrariwise as the shield was carried on the arm in medieval days, and these terms were used in their relationship of one behind the armor.

The sinister impalement, on the right of the viewer, displays the personal Arms of Bishop Brandt.  By combining the personal Arms on the same shield with those of the Diocese of Greensburg, the spiritual unity of the bishop with his flock is signified, a thought also conveyed by the ring, which the bishops wears on his right hand.

The Arms of the Diocese of Greensburg were devised at the time of its establishment in 1951 by William F.J. Ryan (1903-81) of New York, NY and West Chatham, MA.  In 1987, at the time of the installation of the third bishop, the Most Rev. Anthony G. Bosco, the Chi Rho was slightly modified by Professor Geza Grosschmid of Duquesne University, and Archbishop Bruno B. Heim, retired apostolic nuncio, both members of the Academie Internationale d'Heraldique.  The personal Arms of Bishop Brandt were devised by A.W.C. Phelps, Cleveland, Ohio, in consultation with the Most Rev. Lawrence Eugene Brandt, J.C.D., Ph.D., Monday, 12 January 2004/MMIV.  The impalement of the Arms of the Diocese of Greensburg with the personal Arms of Bishop Brandt was undertaken by A.W.C. Phelps, January 2004.

THE DEXTER impalement, on the left of the viewer, bears according to the custom in ecclesiastical heraldry, the jurisdictional Arms of the Diocese of Greensburg.

THE GREEN surface of the Arms is charged with a "fess" or band across the center, the upper side crenellated gold (yellow) and commemorates the Revolutionary War general, Nathaniel Greene (1742-86), for whom the city was named.  The crenellated "fess" recalls the German word "burg," meaning a fortified place, or walled city, and thus represents the See of Greensburg.

THE CRENELLATED "fess" is charged with a blue, five-pointed star from the Arms of the Archdiocese of Philadelphia, and commemorates Bishop Hugh L. Lamb, who was an Auxiliary Bishop of Philadelphia prior to becoming the first Bishop of Greensburg.  On either side of the star are two double traversed crosses, tinctured red, derived from the Arms of the Benedictines, whose members have labored for more than a century in what is now the Diocese of Greensburg.

IN THE "chief" or upper portion of the shield are two yellow (gold) crosses" two sides of each limb concave and the extremity convex, commemorating that portion of the Diocese of Pittsburgh that became in 1951 the Diocese of Greensburg.

THE BASE of the shield is charged with a gold (yellow) Christogram (Chi Rho) symbolizing the Holy Eucharist, the dedicatory title of the Cathedral of the Diocese of Greensburg.  The first two letters of the Greek words for Christ (XP) are combined to form the Christogram; it may be read as the Latin word "Pax" (Peace), a further allusion to the years of labor of the Benedictines in the Diocese of Greensburg.

THE LATIN MOTTO "Ignis Caritatis" is translated "With The Fire of Love." In salvation history God manifested his presence and his power through fire.  In the Old testament he was present to Moses and the chosen people in the burning bush, which was never consumed.  John the Baptist, pointing to Jesus, said the Messiah would "baptize with the Holy Spirit and fire!" At Pentecost, The Holy Spirit descended upon the Apostles in tongues of fire.

THE SURFACE of the personal Arms of Bishop Brandt is divided across the center gold (yellow) and red with a lion rampant countercolored.  In this instance the tongue and claws are blue.

THE LION, defender of the pride, symbolizes courage and strength.  As bishop, Bishop Brandt is committed to protecting with courage and strength the flock committed to his care.

THE LION is holding in his right paw a black gridiron, recalling the martyrdom of St. Lawrence (d. 258), deacon, roasted alive on a grill.  The gold (yellow) and red recall the fire with which St. Lawrence was martyred and is also an allusion to the name "Brandt" from the German word "brand," which means fire.

BEHIND THE ARMS is placed a gold (yellow) processional cross and ensigning the whole achievement is a pontifical hat with its six tassels on each side disposed in three rows, all green.  These are the heraldic insignia of the rank of a bishop in accordance with the Instruction of the Holy See, dated March 31, 1969.  Before 1870 the pontifical hat was worn at solemn cavalcades held in conjunction with papal ceremonies.  The color of the hat and the number of tassels were signs of the rank of the prelate, a custom still preserved in ecclesiastical heraldry.