Martin John O'Connor

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MARTIN JOHN O'CONNOR

Born : May 18, 1900
Deceased : December 1, 1986

Auxiliary Bishop of Scranton, 1943-1946
Rector of the Pontifical North American College, 1946-1964
Titular Archbishop of Laodicea in Syria, 1954
Apostolic Nuncio to Malta, 1965-1969

Official blazon

Origin/meaning

""·• ............ -- - :i- -- ----.. ... . ,. The shield? Lt divided by a line drawn • t the angle of a chevron the portion of the fie Id above the chev .. ron being red and the portion be .. , low beinR gold. In the upper left .. hand corner, as one looks at the shield. there ls an eagle with wings adciorsed and inverted, preparing to r fse. In the upJ)er right-hand corlier appears a rose \\'ith a stnlk a.nd two leaves.. The figures of tl1c eagle and rose appear in gold. A green oak tree issues from a ,reen base in the lower portion ot the chevron!, and on the base of the tree ii a Roman sword placed in a horizontal position with the point toTratd the left. Superimposed on the , ·word la a Roman helmet, facing t ,e left. Behind and surrr1ounting t ,e shield is a processional cross. tet\veen R miter and a crosier. Sur- - r ,ounting these ornaments is a pont ficAI ha.t , with six tassels on either 1 de. d ispc,scd in rows of one, t,vo • . ,ci three. - ThP. green oak tree, the central flgure on the shield, is the traditional heraldic charge of the O'Connor family of Roscommon, the at.rony- 11 used to represent St. John, t e ro1e tor St. Therese of Llsieux. better known as the Little Flower. John II Bishop o·connor's middle name and the eagle is shown rising, be. cause a bishop aa one · of the successors of the ·a postlea. is commis- · 1loned and has the duty of actively ~reading the gospel to those \\'ithin hJJ ecclesiastical Jurisdiction. - ----- .. The rose, representing St. Tl1erese, appears because she was canonized during the reign of the late Pope Plus Xl. w~o had a special d.evotio.n to her a_nd 1t wc1s during his 11lustr1- ous rei~n that Bishop O'Connor was ordained · The golden sword and helmet represent St. Mortin of Tours, whos-e name Bishop O'Con11or \\'as given in bJptism. St. Martin was a Roman Q fficer who \Vas con \rerted to the ( 'atholic f,t•ith and e\rcntuall\' became • 1 l.shop of Tours, in 372 A . . D. Tradi~ t .on tells us that w l1ile still a ca techumen. St. Martin cut his cloak in halt -with his sword on a bitter cold nl . ht and gave one half of it to a Lord appeared to him with t e hall of the cloak he had given to the be~gar and con:plimented ~i~ _on his · 1rit ot charity. The d1v1s1on of angular e ect. since the tri a ngle has alway~ .been" a symbol for representin~ the Blessed Trinity.

The achievement is completed with the heraldic insignia of a prelate of the rank of bishop.