John Raymond McGann

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JOHN RAYMOND MCGANN

Born : December 2, 1924
Deceased : January 29, 2002

Auxiliary Bishop of Rockville Centre, 1970-1976; Titular Bishop of Morosbisdus
Bishop of Rockville Centre, 1976–2000

Auxiliary Bishop of Rockville Centre

Bishop of Rockville Centre

Official blazon

(personal arms) Argent, an eagle rising wings addorsed and inverted gules, haloed or, in chief a lion's head erased of the second, between two mullets azure, in base a crescent of the last.

Motto: Serve the Lord with Gladness.

Origin/meaning

As common in US episcopal heraldry, the arms show the arms of the diocese impaled with the personal arms of the bishop.

The arms show an eagle rising, the head bearing a halo, to represent Saint John the Evangelist, the baptismal patron of the Bishop. The eagle as a symbol of Saint John dates beyond the fourth century, and appropriately symbolizes the Gospel of Saint John whichsoars to the very heavens in proofofthe Divinity of Christ.

The lion's head is taken as a part of the full lion rampant on the coat of arms of a McGann family of Ireland (no relation to the Bishop though).

The two stars have many significances. They refer to Mary, the Mother of God, with her stellar title of "morning Star" from the Litany of Loretto. The stars also represent the mother and sister of the Bishop who both bear the revered name of Mary. Finally, the stars honor Bishop Kellenberg, who displays such a Marian star on his coat of arms, and whom Bishop McGann assisted as Auxiliary.

The blue crescent on the silver field honors Our Lady of the Immaculate Conception in her Marian colors. This lunar symbol is derived from the Apocalypse: "And a great sign appeared in the heavens: a woman clothed with the sun and the moon was under her feet, and upon her head a crown of twelve stars (12:1).

The motto, "Serve the Lord with Gladness (Psalm 99:2), has as its full verse: "Sing joyfully to God, all the earth: serve ye the Lord with gladness. Come in before his presence with exceeding great joy."

The achievement is completed with the heraldic insignia of a prelate of the rank of bishop by instruction of the Holy See, of March 1969, confirmed in March 2001.